$30 billion in infrastructure works for JCF, says Chang

He was speaking Tuesday during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.“A modern police force must be supported by modern infrastructure,” he stated.Chang highlighted that since 2019, the ministry has spearheaded the Project Rebuild, Overhaul, and Construct (ROC) initiative, systematically upgrading and renovating all police facilities nationwide following rigorous engineering assessments.In terms of physical infrastructure, Chang said a number of projects are set for completion over the medium term. These include the Westmoreland Divisional Headquarters, to be completed by December 2026 and the St Catherine North Divisional Headquarters which is expected to be more than 60 per cent completed by the end of fiscal year 2026/2027.Additionally, there is the replacement of five police stations with brand new facilities at Bull Bay, Cave Valley, Mocho, Granville, and Amity Hall. These projects are currently in the pre-construction stage.Chang told the House that the JCF’s Specialised Operations West in Montego Bay, St James which is projected to cost about J10 billion, has received Cabinet’s approval for inclusion in the Public Sector Investment Programme. “We will be going to tender for a contractor by the end of this month,” he shared.He said that like many Jamaicans, the police force was not spared the battering from Hurricane Melissa and the Government was restoring quickly.In this regard, the ministry launched the JCF Accelerated Infrastructure Restoration Plan (AIRP) which is designed to rapidly secure and restore critical policing infrastructure in the affected areas. The security minister shared that works are currently underway to restore 17 of the most severely impacted facilities, including police stations at Mount Salem, Montego Hills, Bluefields, Siloah, New Market, and Bethel Town.These are not merely block and steel structures. They represent the Government’s firm commitment to investing in the country’s development that ensure continued peace, goodwill, good order, resilience and a strong infrastructure,” Chang stated.-Lynford Simpson