Philanthropist gifts mobile office to St James cops
Published:Monday | June 3, 2024 | 12:08 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Members of the Special Operations Team of the St James Police Division now have their own operational and administrative base in the form of a container mobile office at the St James Police Divisional Headquarters in Freeport, Montego Bay.
Philanthropist and businessman Howard Ward, founder and proprietor of Ward’s Power Tools and Supplies Limited, brought comfort to the men and women of the specialised unit tasked with the responsibility of helping to diffuse conflicts and restoring law and order in the parish.
Earlier this week, a Ward’s Power Tools Trailer truck drove onto the compound and offloaded a 20x10 mobile office container office, creating what has become an office space for the St James Police Special Operations team.
The team wasted no time, moving in immediately and continuing their administrative and operational duties.
AIM TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY
“From the staging of the MoBay Night Run 5K Run/Walk, we observed that there was a need and decided to offer this mobile office container which I think will greatly impact the officers in carrying out their duties in the special operations unit,” said Ward, as he formally handed over the facility to Acting Senior Superintendent of Police Eron Samuels, commanding officer for the St James Police Division.
Ward, who also chairs the Howard Ward Benefit Foundation and who has been involved in heavy-duty equipment sales, rental of tools and lighting equipment, said his more than 25-year operation has long been working with law enforcement personnel in other areas, ensuring that they are able to operate comfortably, especially within the two ongoing zones of special operations in the communities of Norwood and Mount Salem in St James.
The donation of the mobile container office space comes on the heels of the inaugural staging of the MoBay Night Run 5K Run/Walk, which was held in Fairview, the new commercial area of Montego Bay. It was organised by the Howard Ward Benefit Foundation to raise funds to provide educational scholarships for students with academic potentials but are struggling to find the financial resources to cover tuition, and other school related experiences.
Ward, a 2018 recipient of the Order of Distinction for his contributions in the fields of business and community service, said his company has a long and exciting working relationship with the police and that the gift is a continuation of his company’s commitment in making life comfortable for them, as they provide a safe and peaceful space for everyone.
FILLING A NEED
He said when the request came, it was a no brainer because they had already recognised the need.
Samuels lauded the proprietor and his staff for coming to the aid of the police, by providing a new standalone facility, for his special operations team.
He shared that his team is pleased with the support it has got from the Howard Ward Foundation and Ward Power Tools, describing them as being good corporate friends of the police over the years.
“A lot of what we do, especially operating in the field, we have gotten support from them. At a lot of our checkpoints, and ZOSOs (zones of special operations) they have really assisted us over the years as one of the persons (individual or companies) who provided these (mobile operational) facilities,” Samuels told reporters.
Continuing, he said his special operations team is his first human tool in his armoury to which he looks to if and when there are critical incidents such as an upsurge in criminal acts, natural disasters, crowd control and any other emergencies.
“This team is one of the teams that really has made a great impact within the St James division. Over the years they have found hundreds of guns and taken into custody a lot of wanted persons, persons of interest,” Samuels revealed.
Along with those discoveries, Samuels boasted about his team’s ability in lowering the parish’s murder rate.
“They have greatly contributed to the decrease in murders and shootings that we have across the division,” the acting senior superintendent added.