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A report from Racquel Porter
The St. Andrew North police are urging the public to be on high alert following the arrest of a man accused of posing as an employee of the Jamaica Public Service Company to defraud unsuspecting residents.
The accused, Sheldon Williams, an electrician of Kingston 8, was taken into custody on Saturday.
He was charged with eight counts of simple larceny and trespassing on the works of the JPS.
According to detectives at the Constant Spring Criminal Investigation Branch, Williams visited a Barbican address on October 15, where he identified himself as Dwayne Williams, an employee of the JPS.
However, he refused to show the complainant his identification.
The accused then demanded a sum of cash not to prosecute the complainant for an "irregularity" he had identified.
After his demand was not met, the accused removed the JPS meter from the premises and left in a white Toyota Probox motor car.
The complainant made a report to the police on November 13, and an investigation was launched.
The accused was held during a planned operation on November 15 along Hertz Dean Avenue in the Kingston 10 area.
The police said a white Toyota Probox motor car was searched and an altered JPS ID was found along with a tablet and meters belonging to the JPS.
The St. Andrew North police say the arrest comes amid a worrying rise in reports of individuals impersonating utility workers to target vulnerable customers.
It is expected to form part of a broader crackdown on scammers who exploit the trust associated with uniformed service providers.
The police are encouraging anyone who may have been approached by the suspect or others, pretending to be JPS workers, to contact the nearest police station.
JPS earlier this month issued an advisory reminding customers that all employees and contractors must carry photo identification, wear branded safety gear and should never collect cash for service at customers' premises.
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