JCF gets new vehicles

The fleet of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has been expanded with the addition of 30 new service vehicles, handed over by the Ministry of National Security last Friday.

The L-200 pickup trucks, valued at $230 million, were presented at the Office of the Commissioner of Police in St Andrew.

An additional 16 Hilux pick-p trucks and four Hiace buses, totalling $177 million, are scheduled for delivery this week.

National Security Minister Horace Chang said the Government is committed to equipping the security forces with the resources needed to support crime-fighting efforts.

"A number of them will be involved in crime-scene management and special activities of the police force," Chang said.

The minister further stated that the vehicles will play a crucial role in improved mobility and bolster rapid response by JCF personnel. He said the Government aims to "bring the police force to full level of establishment, fully equipped, trained and prepared to deal with the criminal elements in society".

Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson said the investment marks another milestone in the Government's ongoing effort to strengthen the capabilities of the JCF.

"Whereas these vehicles are an investment in the JCF, I see them more as an investment in the people we serve, an investment in the communities, because how we use these vehicles is to go and serve, to protect, to reassure, and to ensure that our people get safer and safer as we do our work," he said.