Hanover Police to pay $1000 monthly for police post

The Hanover Municipal Corporation has agreed to rent a property in Hopewell in the parish to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) for only $1,000 per month, which the JCF will use as a police post.

An agreement was reached during last Thursday's monthly meeting of the municipal corporation in Lucea.

The property is located at the entrance to the residential community of Pond Piece in Hopewell and is partly occupied by the Electoral Office of Jamaica.

"This is fantastic news," said Superintendent Sharon Beeput, the commanding officer for the Hanover police. "Hopewell is a well-developed township with many businesses and they need to have a police presence there."

USE OF PROPERTY

Discussions have been taking place between the Ministry of National Security and the Hanover Municipal Corporation about the use of the property since the Hanover police expressed an interest in establishing a police post there in December last year.

In a letter to the council, Beeput noted that the increase in commercial activities and the expansion of residential communities required a police presence as the Sandy Bay Police Station, which is the closest police station to the town, is some distance away.

David Gardner, chief executive officer of the Hanover Municipal Council, said that a lease agreement, drafted by the Ministry of Local Government, was in place, but the amount for the rental had to be agreed by the council. It was on that basis that the rental cost of $1,000 per month was agreed.

Councillors unanimously agreed that a police post in Hopewell would be beneficial to the municipal council, especially to monitor commercial activities.