KINGSTON, Jamaica — Over $56 million has been spent on the construction of new dormitories at both the Harman Barracks in Kingston and the Police Training College at Twickenham Park in St Catherine to accommodate additional police recruits.

The security ministry said that approximately $24 million was spent to build four new dormitories and an auditorium at Harman Barracks and $32 million on renovating the barracks at the Police Training College in Twickenham Park.

The construction and renovation will allow the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to accommodate a total of 700 recruits, the ministry said.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony on Tuesday, for the newly refurbished dormitories at Harman Barracks, Minister of National Security, Robert Montague said while the attrition rate within the JCF was cause for concern, his ministry was actively working to have the staff complement up to 14,092 over the next two to four years. To this end, the ministry would be aggressively recruiting new police officers to negate the attrition rate.

“We are increasing the number of dormitories at Harman barracks to facilitate 200 recruits and we’re in the process of acquiring a prefabricated building from China Harbour Engineering Company, which will house an additional 84 recruits come October. We are also carrying out renovations at Twickenham Park, so there will be space for 500 recruits by the time we are ready to accept the next training cohort in October,” Montague said.