St James police get much-needed gifts
Published:Friday | December 23, 2016 | 11:48 AMOkoye Henry
Western Bureau:
Police personnel at the Freeport Police Station in Montego Bay, St James, should be operating in more comfort going forward, thanks to the generous donation of electrical equipment and appliances from the St James Police Civic Committee.
The handover ceremony, which took place on Thursday, saw Senior Superintendent of Police Marlon Nesbeth, the commanding officer for St James, accepting the gifts on behalf of the police.
"The St James Police Civic Committee is a group of citizens who have come together to assist the police in the execution of their duties because we (citizens) will never be able to repay them for their valuable service," explained Clayton Morgan, a member of the committee.
The items given to the police included a microwave oven, a refrigerator, hot water kettle and an electric stove. The items were sourced to fill a need that existed at the police station for quite some time.
The committee recently presented the traffic department at the station with an air conditioning unit. Other donations have also been made to the Area One police headquarters.
"Sir, we appreciate what you and your men and women are doing in helping to keep St James safe," Morgan told Nesbeth. "This is just a small token, and you can call on the civic committee at anytime as we are always ready to provide you with the tools to do your jobs."
CONDITION OF SERVICE
In thanking the committee, Nesbeth said the kind gesture was appreciated, adding that the partnership speaks volumes of the need for collaborative efforts to improve working conditions for police.
"The condition of service does affect members," said Nesbeth. "It is very difficult for a member to come to work after a long travelling period to work for at least 14 hours at a time, and they don't have the amenities to make their stay more comfortable."
Speaking of the vexing crime situation in St James, Nesbeth told the committee that new crime-fighting strategies were being implemented to give the police a greater handle on lawlessness, which has spawned a record 256 murders since the start of the year.