Downtown utility thieves back to their old habits
Published:Thursday | June 10, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Gary Spaulding, Senior Gleaner Writer
Less than 24 hours after Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) crews surged into downtown Kingston Monday on the back of a police/military operation to disconnect illegal electrical supply, some of the lights were back on - and not legally.
This poured cold water on the optimism expressed by Water and Housing Minister Dr Horace Chang that residents of western Kingston and other areas would backtrack on years-long delinquency.
"Most people are willing (to pay their way)," Chang told The Gleaner, only hours after JPS workers descended on the area with policemen and soldiers in tow.
"In fact, one problem is that the formal side of the economy has failed many of these people in the inner-city areas and that is why this is not just a security operation."
He emphasised that the Government would have to put in place systems that will give residents a sense of belonging.
"That is where we will overcome a lot of these things - illegal water and electricity supply, all symptoms of a wider disease that we have to correct," Chang argued.
We have failed
He said the Government aimed to assist residents overcome these obstacles.
"It must not be just the effort of the community, we at the national level have failed many of these people over the years and we must take steps to correct that."
"We are hoping that in terms of regularising the communities, getting people to own up to their responsibilities, we will be able to get everybody back in the formal system," Chang added.
However, a Gleaner probe revealed that the actions of some well-known business persons in the area have left Chang in the dark.
The electricity supply in a large establishment in the vicinity of Beeston and Princess streets was disconnected on Monday.
By Tuesday afternoon, the electricity returned.
Gleaner checks indicate that no application has been made to regularise the activities.
The electricity thieves in the area were seen on the utility poles soon after the heavy contingent of security personnel retreated from that section of western Kingston into Denham Town.