Gov't to spend nearly $40 billion to improve JCF

   

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says the government will be spending close to $40 billion to improve the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

 

Some $19.7 billion will be spent during the next three years to construct police stations across Jamaica. 

 

"If you think that the police force has transformed now, wait until you see it in the next three years, right? In the next three years, we will spend $39.3 billion on the capital budget of the JCF to improve the JCF. So we have covered leadership. We have covered the equipment and the capital, and of course, now we depend on the JCF now for practice," said the Prime Minister, who was speaking Tuesday at the contract signing for the construction of the new St. Catherine North Divisional Headquarters. 

 

Mr. Holness, while noting that investors are silently investing in Spanish Town, said dismantling gangs could result in exponential growth for the old capital. 

 

"So even if we were to get a 20 per cent reduction in murders and we sustained that for the next five years and we eliminated the gang, you would see Spanish Town go through a growth phase that previously you would consider unimaginable, and that is what we're going to do. Strategically, we're going to retake Spanish Town from the criminals," he declared. 

 

Commending the police on the recent operation which resulted in the killing of one of St. Catherine's most wanted, known as 'Devil', Mr. Holness urged criminals to quit. 

 

"They have taken out one character called 'Devil' and I know that [the police] have others that are on the radar that they are working on. My advice to the criminals: just leave, just put down your gun and leave because the police is going to get you, one by one, two by two, and I'm certainly going to hear four and five."

 

He said the police will be carrying out these operations in a lawful way, protecting the innocent whilst ensuring those who break the law or who organise crime are taken before the courts.