More money for cops - Police Force gets funding to increase number of recruits and establish CCTVs
Published:Friday | April 15, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
The police force has been rewarded for its work in reducing crime over the past year with a sharp increase in its budget.
In the 2011-2012 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in Parliament yesterday, the force was allocated $25.6 billion, up from the $23.5 billion it received last year.
Among the areas targeted for more money is the Police Academy at Twickenham Park, St Catherine, which is undergoing a physical upgrade.
A further $1 billion has been allocated to pay persons at the academy underscoring the Government's commitment to increase the number of police recruits trained this year.
The Transnational Crime and Narcotics Division and Operation Kingfish also receive an increase in the money allocated to them, with the bulk of that funding for the compensation of employees.
This could signal a plan to increase the number of members of these key units which are mandated to deal with narcotics trafficking, money laundering and the dismantling of major organised criminal networks.
cctv purchase
Police Commissioner Owen Ellington will also have a further $600 million for the general operations of the force and $40 million more for the Anti-Corruption Branch.
In addition, $150 million has been allocated to the Ministry of National Security to purchase closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems for Montego Bay, May Pen, Mandeville, Half-Way Tree and New Kingston.
A portion of that money is also to be spent maintaining the CCTVs which are now operational.
About $600 million is also allocated to the national security ministry for the construction and rehabilitation of police stations islandwide.