New Police Station for Cave Valley in St. Ann

A new police station will be constructed in Cave Valley, St. Ann, as part of the Government’s commitment to enhancing security measures across the parish.

The project aims to bolster law-enforcement efforts and ensure the safety and well-being of the local community served by the station.

Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, provided details following a tour of police stations in Discovery Bay, Runaway Bay, St. Ann’s Bay, and Ocho Rios on July 1.

Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson, and other senior officials of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) were also a part of the tour.

The Minister also revealed plans to carry out much-needed upgrades to existing police facilities throughout the parish. This will address infrastructural deficiencies and equip law-enforcement officers with the necessary tools to combat crime effectively.

Speaking with journalists following the tour, Dr. Chang said the visit to the parish forms part of a mission “to see if the police have the tools they need to operate and the numbers required and to look at how we can make quick adjustments to satisfy the demands”.

“We have committed some $400 million to just maintenance work; about half of that is complete,” Dr Chang said.

“We have had refurbishing work done at all the stations along the coastline, but there is more work to be done,” the Minister added.

He said there is also a need for increased police personnel in the parish, which the Ministry is working to address.

“The officers in place [in St Ann] indicate that they would like more manpower, and that’s part of our programme now. The Commissioner’s office has increased the level of training. We have moved the recruiting from just under 600 to 1,200… so we can add a net amount of 800 officers to the police force, and some of those will have to come to St Ann,” Dr. Chang said.

He also reiterated the Government’s commitment to digitising the police force through implementation of the electronic Station Records Management and Case Management Systems.