Gov’t to Spend $39.3 Billion on JCF Capital Projects

The Government will be spending approximately $39.3 billion on capital projects in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in the next three years.

The investment will include renovating and constructing new fit-for-purpose buildings and enhancing the mobility and technological capabilities of the Force.

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure while addressing the contract-signing ceremony for the construction of the JCF’s new St. Catherine North Divisional Headquarters, at the Office of the Prime Minister in St. Andrew on July 23.

On completion, the over $2.2-billion state-of-the-art facility will serve communities in Spanish Town and its environs.

The contract was signed between the Government of Jamaica and West Indies Home Contractors (WICHON) Limited.

The Prime Minister said that the prudent management of the country has enabled the Administration to provide critical infrastructure and equipment to improve and transform the JCF over the last several years.

He noted, for example, that $4.87 billion has been spent on the acquisition of vehicles since 2016, with $8.7 billion more to be expended in the next three years.

In addition, $2.7 billion has been spent to renovate stations, with another $2.7 billion earmarked to carry out further works.

“On new construction projects, we spent $5.52 billion on building new stations… but we expect to spend $19.7 billion in the next three years on new stations,” Mr. Holness pointed out further.

The expenditure, he said, includes “the massive station in Westmoreland; the St. Catherine Divisional Headquarters; Specialised Operations; the Command, Communications, Computation, Control, Coordination (C5) Centre, all kinds of new exciting things… . If you think that the police force is transformed now, wait until you see it in the next three years”.

Turning to technology, Mr. Holness pointed out that $3.9 billion has been expended since 2016, and the Administration will spend a further $10.9 billion over the next three years.

“So, in all, from 2016, we have spent $14.4 billion on your capital side of your budget. This is not what we spent on national security… just what we have spent on the JCF,” he said.