Political Candidates, Supporters Urged to Exercise Safety on the Roads

The police are calling on candidates in the February 26 Local Government Elections and their supporters to exercise safety and order on the roads.

Speaking with JIS News, Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gary McKenzie, expressed concern about the protrusion of bodies from vehicles during motorcades, noting that this is dangerous and could result in serious injuries and fatalities.

“It is very important that such campaigns, especially the fact that people are travelling, that they do so safely. Personal responsibility is the order of the day. While they are travelling on the different throughfares, persons should do so within the vehicles,” he said.

“It makes no sense to be hanging out of vehicles, because that, in itself, is very unsafe and dangerous,” he pointed out.

ACP McKenzie is reminding campaign organisers that they are required to inform the police before staging events and to adhere to the noise ordinance and event cut-off time.

A total of 499 candidates will vie for seats as Councillors in the 228 electoral divisions across the 63 constituencies and for Mayor of the Municipality of Portmore, during the Local Government Elections.

Local representatives are responsible for governance at the community level, including the development, management, and maintenance of infrastructure and public facilities.

Local Government Elections were last held in 2016.

The polls, which are due every four years, were postponed on three occasions as a result of public health restrictions related to COVID-19.