The Government invested billions of dollars to enhance the capabilities of the security forces to fight crime as well as to improve systems and processes governing the sector.
Renovation and Refurbishing Facilities
• Project Rebuild, Overhaul and Construct (ROC) became operational, under which more than 200 facilities will be rebuilt, renovated and retrofitted at a cost of approximately $5 billion.
• The newly rebuilt Shady Grove Police Station in St. Catherine was officially opened, and the Bog Walk Police Station is being rehabilitated, equipped and expanded at a cost of $33.6 million.
• The JDF’s new Lathbury Barracks officially opened at Up-Park Camp.
• The new Burke Barracks in Providence, St. James, was officially opened.
• Work began to upgrade the Carl Rattray Staff College in Runaway Bay, St. Ann.
• Work commenced on a $200 million state-of-the-art autopsy suite to facilitate the efficient and effective operations of local forensic pathologists.
Boosting Operational Capacity
• The US Embassy handed over a new 37-foot Boston Whaler and a new 38-foot Secure All-around Flotation Equipped (SAFE) boat to the JDF.
• The anti-violence campaign dubbed ‘Liv Gud’ was launched.
• The Police Federation received eight buses from the Government.
• New bilateral security cooperation agreement signed with the United States (US) that will assist in the fight against transnational criminal activities.
• $43.9 million injected to facilitate improvement of the coverage, range and distribution of data collected by the Jamaica Crime Observatory.
• Approximately 341 new police constables joined the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); 146 new soldiers joined the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), while the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) welcomed 144 new Correctional Officers and 23 Probation Aftercare Officers.