FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie is pleading with criminals not to stone or shoot-up smart LED streetlights now being installed islandwide by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS).

McKenzie pointed out that damaging streetlights would contribute to additional burden on taxpayers’ pockets.

“I want to urge my fellow Jamaicans, especially the criminal elements, if you continue to shoot them out and destroy them, it is going to be of great cost to the country. Don’t use your weapons, whether it is the gun [or] the stone, to destroy the streetlights because it is the taxpayers… it is your tax dollars, that are going to replace them,” McKenzie urged.

“I can only urge people to recognise that there is a need for us to be responsible,” he continued.

He said that since June 1, JPS and the Ministry of Local Government have embarked on a massive programme to replace 105,000 existing streetlights with LED lamps over a three-year period.

He noted, too, that already more than 20,000 of the streetlights have been replaced with the energy-saving bulbs, even as the recent rainfalls have jeopardised meeting the projected installation of 35,000 bulbs by the end of this year.

At the same time, the local government minister urged residents to remember to pay their property taxes, which go towards the payment of streetlight bills, among other expenses.

McKenzie was speaking at the launch of Local Government Week in Falmouth, Trelawny on Wednesday.

Several mayors from across the island, representatives from different agencies of the Ministry of Local Government and other stakeholders formed part of the massive audience for the ceremony, which was held at the front of the Falmouth courthouse.

Meanwhile, the local government minister revealed that among the raft of activities scheduled for the month in celebration of local government is a major renovation exercise for a police station in Hanover.

“We have major projects in the parish of Hanover, where we have taken on the renovation of the Kingsvale Police Station. We are going to be carrying out extensive repairs to that facility,” the local government minister said.

He also disclosed that his ministry will be hosting a number of meetings across the island as well as one with tourism stakeholders in the historic town of Falmouth this month.

An exposition, which saw several booths mounted in the town by a number of government agencies, and entertainment activities were also the highlights of the launch in Falmouth, which came to a climax with a public concert featuring Digicel Rising Stars 2017 winner Short Boss.