Williams wants PNP's Gordon to withdraw comments about municipal cops in KSAMC

A call has been made for the PNP's Dennis Gordon, chairman of the finance committee of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to withdraw his assertion that municipal police officers in the capital are untrained. 

In an interview with The Gleaner on Tuesday, Councillor Gordon said the former KSAMC administration spent the bulk of more than $80 million in unapproved payments to employ "untrained" municipal police officers, whom he labelled as Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) political activists. 

But former Mayor of the Kingston and JLP councillor Delroy Williams has chastised Gordon over the comments, saying they are “reckless and slanderous”.

He said Gordon should withdraw the statements, adding that all municipal police officers were employed through the Jamaica National Service Corp, a training and army recruiting programme offered through the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). 

Williams, who led the JLP's control of the KSAMC from 2016 to February 2024, outlined that in 2017, he made public the intention of the KSAMC to enroll more officers in the  municipal police force. 

In 2021, he said the KSAMC started discussions with the Jamaica National Service Corps, after identifying weaknesses in the municipal force and the corporation later started to engage with the JNSC for assistance with training and employing municipal police officers.

“Through the JNSC programme we formed a partnership where young persons who underwent training with the JDF were interviewed and enrolled within the municipal police force,” the deputy mayor said in a statement on Wednesday.  

Municipal officers are tasked with the safety and order within urban spaces and provide support during civic functions, municipal events and enforcement operations,

Williams argued that Gordon's comments put the safety and  professional reputation of the municipal officers at risk. 

The PNP took control of the KSAMC from the JLP following the local government elections in February. 

-Sashana Small 

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