Jamaica
News - Real Estate - Services (July 3,
2004)
Municipal
police for St James
The St James Parish Council is to
establish a municipal police department over the next three months.
It was not immediately clear what it
would cost to set-up the department but according to a document prepared
by the council's secretary/manager Ian Reid, the department will be
divided into three sections that will include:
an operational unit;
a revenue collection unit; and
a compliance/enforcement unit.
The operational unit will be
responsible for all activities pertaining to the removal of street
vendors to the market, the removal of illegal signs and billboards, and
the destruction of makeshift stalls. That unit will also have
responsibility for the provision of security for functions put on by the
council. The revenue collection unit will work with officers of the
Inland Revenue Department to collect trade licences and property taxes
while the compliance/enforcement unit will, inter alia, be responsible
for the detection of violations under various laws and regulations.
Council chairman and mayor of Montego Bay
Councillor Noel Donaldson stated that he was confident that having the
municipal police on the job would translate into greater compliance with
existing regulations.
"Lack of enforcement (of laws and
regulations) is one of the problems we have here in Montego Bay and that
is part and parcel of the reason we decided to establish a municipal
police force..." Donaldson explained.
It is also hoped that the existence of
the department will help to boost the local authority's revenue intake.
The Island's Special Constabulary
Force (ISCF), the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and
the Inland Revenue Department will provide a four-week training session
for the members of the municipal police. The unit will have a staff
complement of 31, including five supervisors and a manager. It will be
equipped with motor vehicles, hand-held radios, handcuffs, batons and
flashlights.
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