Live-in cops planned for NS and EE

| 13/03/2017 | 21 Comments

(CNS): Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has revealed plans to post live-in officers at the North Side and East End police stations after renovations to the two stations that have been closed or unmanned for years are completed. The independent MLAs for both districts have been calling on successive RCIPS chiefs to do something about what they see as the failure to properly police their districts, which has led to surge in burglaries. But now the two communities are likely to get some of the most dedicated policing from full time officers, who will live and work at the stations once the work is finished.

The plans to install two permanent community officers in North Side and East End were revealed in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, when the commissioner attended parliament to help Acting Deputy Governor Jennifer Ahearn answer a parliamentary question by Ezzard Miller about the review of the police service and the posting of officers in his constituency.

Ahearn said that the residential officers are expected to take up their duties at the live-in stations in April and they will be in addition to the 36 officers who are currently covering the eastern districts, increasing the complement to 40 for Bodden Town, North Side and East End. The RCIPS has asked for expressions of interest in the service for officers who would like to take up residence and become the permanent police for the two communities. The commissioner has also revealed that he is considering permanently attaching detectives to those two stations in addition to the permanent PCs

After the LA meeting, Byrne told CNS that the RCIPS has been considering re-opening the East End and North Side police stations for some time in response to community needs and request. But the service has also had to manage demands for policing and emergency response while undertaking further recruitment.

“Given these issues, the opening of both the East End and North Side locations as both police stations and residences makes both good policing and financial sense,” he said.  “There is an initial cost to making the needed repairs to the locations so they are suitable as living spaces, however, having a police officer both living and working at the location means that he or she can integrate into the community as both an officer and a neighbour, and have a sustained presence.  In our view, the long- term community benefit outweighs the initial costs.”

The commissioner is currently undertaking a full review of the RCIPS and has already stated that while the basic framework of policing is sound, he has identified significant gaps in skills and capacity that are creating vulnerabilities which need to be addressed to make the RCIPS a modern service that meet the community’s policing needs. It is expected that the review, which will be given to the governor, will be completed in the next few months.

Asked about the alleged racism and inequities that Bernie Bush, the opposition CDP member for West Bay, said was “rampant” through the police service, the acting deputy governor said the commissioner’s review would cover all aspects of the service, including those accusations.

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Category: Crime, Crime Prevention, Police

Comments (21)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Jamaicans built this place, so they deserve to pollute the roadsides and pillage the sea. Do you know where you are foreign commenters?

  2. Shadow says:

    I wonder how much good it will do when the officers currently responsible for the Eastern districts pick and choose which crimes they will pursue and prosecute.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Looks like the bag of northern wind has started the wote buying and politricks on the mind of the new cop.
    He already has a police lackey up there, what more does he need?

  4. Anonymous says:

    Live in or sleep in?

  5. Anonymous says:

    And so the RCIP once again tries to improve itself for the good of the people and before it even gets off the ground all you get is negativity. I say why bother then. Police yourselves.

  6. Anonymous says:

    Great Idea! I fully support the police taking up the Eastern Districts. It’s like the wild west out there with little to no law enforcement.

  7. Anonymous says:

    At least now RCIPS officers will have an excuse to be asleep on the job!!

  8. Anonymous says:

    What’s with that photo on the front page…

    • Alex johnson says:

      That photo was taken from our Facebook page when we cleaned up the police station a few months ago.

  9. Anonymous says:

    This isn’t new . Police are sleeping in the stations all over the island….

  10. Anonymous says:

    Better than nothing but is this daytime only. They have to sleep sometime.

  11. Whistle blower says:

    Hoarding more Jamaicans in the eastern districts won’t tackle the problem of crime. Permanent community officers stationed only one section of a tiny 24 square mile island.. like I said hoarding…

    • Anonymous says:

      Yep, you said it.

    • Carol Scott says:

      Really hope it lasts this time around…they put officer there Fromm time to time before and how long does it last…beside everyone that has been there has always refer you to the Bodden town station to make a complaint anyways so what’s the purpose of having officers being at these locations when you are being told go to Bodden town or caleed the Bodden town station to make a complaint for years this has been the results of having officers live at either location.. It’s just ridiculous that they don’t can’t or won’t deal with the complaints when necessary…,just really hope the situation of having officer’s at these two locations will surely turn out to be positively

  12. Anonymous says:

    Here we go with common sense again – reopening both North Side and East End police stations. Is this article an early “April Fools Day” joke? Or is it really true that RCIPS and common sense are attempting to work together.

    Signed, retired cop who lives in a small district.

    • Anonymous says:

      signed… A hateful wannabe retired cop whose nationality is Caymanian!!

      • Anonymous says:

        signed………, a despicable excuse for an expatriate who is so full of misguided and baseless conceit they do not realize that it is they are the one who is hateful. You and people like you are the ‘Baines’ of these islands and should never have been allowed to step foot here. Try so go have a cup of tea and sit on the spoon while you choke on the crumpet, sugar.

      • Anon says:

        Question 8:52am: How on Earth do you know the Nationality?

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