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Alpart Upgrades Alligator Pond Police Station

February 5, 2004

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Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) personnel currently attached to the Alligator Pond Police Station in South Manchester are now working in a more comfortable environment since Alumina Partners of Jamaica (Alpart) recently upgraded the facility.
Public Relations Manager at Alpart, Lance Neita, told JIS News that his company was quite happy to have done something tangible for the police.
“The project came about as a result of a meeting held with the manager of Port Kaiser, Jim Clarke and the officer here last year when a request was made for help with renovation, and so as a part of our outreach activity, particularly our partnership programme with the security in this area, that is Manchester, St. Elizabeth and Clarendon, we came forward to do our part,” he indicated.
Mr. Neita stated that Alpart had assigned one of its chief engineers,Carl Lynch to undertake the work.
“He took over in December of last year and did the job in a very short time.I think I can say that it is very important for our police men and women to be very comfortable in terms of their physical surroundings, Alpart and the community and our nation recognises this and from the side of the company we do get a lot of support from them whenever it is needed,” he said.
The Public Relations Manager noted that with Jamaica’s Bauxite industry being one of the country’s top foreign exchange earners every effort should be made to ensure that there was constant production at all the plants.
“We get a lot from the police in our mining area, and of course Alpart, as a prime resource for the country, we need the attention in terms of security of our investment and I am happy to say that we do get it from the police, as well as appropriate care and protection so we are very pleased to reciprocate in any way we can,” he said.
Commenting on the partnership that had been established between Alpart and the police personnel in Area 3, Mr. Neita stated that there had been many worthwhile achievements along the way.
“This is not the first station in our operating area that we have assisted, if I recall correctly from as early as 1952 Kaiser Bauxite actually built the Bull Savannah station and in 1975 we constructed a modern facility for Nain, we have also done renovation work on other stations in the parish and all of this in the spirit of good community relations,” he said.
Mr. Neita encouraged other corporate groups as well as individuals to get “on board” and support the JCF.
“I have always felt that it is a joint approach that should be taken, citizens and police as well as businesses,” he stressed.
Superintendent of Special Projects at Alpart, Carl Lynch informed JIS News about the scope of the refurbishing project.
“I am the one who deal with all of the projects outside of the plant for the station. We constructed a new office for the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB), established some partitions in the dormitories, so as to have a higher level of privacy, improved the washroom facility by adding some tiles and addition face basin so as to make it more habitable,” he said.
Mr. Lynch explained that additional work had been done also to the electrical system.
“The entire station was re-wired and we put in a new panel box and some new breakers with heavier ampere, new lights, painted the ceiling and established a new security grill for the cell section.I think if properly maintained this station building has at least 30 years of life left in it,” he said.
Administrative Officer for Manchester, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Richard Brown told JIS News that the morale of the staff has been boosted since the facility was upgraded.
“The bathroom facilities were very open and there was not much privacy with of course tiles dropping off the wall, there was no CIB office and so everyone had to share the same space, most of the lights were not operational,” he revealed.
DSP Brown praised Alpart for the very timely work that it had done for the persons attached to Alligator Pond.
“I would like to say on behalf of the Superintendent of Manchester, George Quiallo, a big thank you for this kind gesture.I know that it will go a far way to lift the morale of the men and women here, I know that as we continue in the same spirit that it will redound to the benefit of all the players,” he said.

Last Updated: February 5, 2004

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