Head of the Westmoreland Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Othneil Dobson, says significant progress has been made in restoring police stations and improving communication systems across the parish. Speaking at the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation in Savanna-la-Mar on Thursday (February 12), SSP Dobson reported that most stations are now fully operational following earlier disruptions. He...

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development will continue to strengthen solid-waste systems, rebuild climate-resilient municipal facilities, and upgrade shelters and social-care services to foster safer, more resilient communities in the 2026/27 fiscal year, according to Governor-General (G-G), His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen. He stated that these build on a successful 2025/26 fiscal year, during which...

Members of the Lacovia Police in St. Elizabeth have been presented with gift packages containing personal-care items by the United States (US)-based diaspora charity Pollyanna Project, in recognition of their continued service and support to residents. The gesture formed part of the group’s efforts to acknowledge front-line personnel who work closely with communities, often going beyond the call of duty...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is reporting a noticeable reduction in the number of motor-vehicle crashes responded to in 2025, while renewing its call for motorists to exercise greater caution on the nation’s roadways. Speaking with JIS News recently, Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Stewart Beckford, said that the Brigade responded to 947 motor-vehicle crashes in 2025, a reduction...

To bridge the gap between school and community, Bath Primary School in St. Thomas has taken a proactive step by staging its first community forum. Held on the school compound on Wednesday (January 28), the event brought together representatives from various government and non-government agencies for an evening of information sharing and conversation. Principal, Devmarie Blake-Brown, remarked that, “as an...

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) has reported a mixed trend in structural fires across the island for 2025, with commercial building fires showing a marginal increase, while residential fires recorded a slight decline. Commissioner, JFB, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News that of the 11,048 genuine fire calls received last year, 1,555 or 14 per cent were structural fires. “We responded...

Bushfires remained a major challenge in 2025, with the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) reporting a 26.2 per cent increase in incidents across the island. “We have seen, over time, maybe over the last four years, bushfires remaining at a consistently high level. Last year, we responded to 5,710 such incidents, and that’s a 26.2 per cent increase over the previous...