KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) has announced a reduction in illegal connections and electricity theft in the community of Alligator Pond, Manchester.

Home to approximately 800 households, Alligator Pond had only 327 active JPS customer accounts in 2016. 

“This was prior to an escalated JPS intervention in that Manchester community to curb widespread electricity theft and unsafe practices. Today, more residents are moving away from stealing electricity and are now more interested in safety, becoming regularised customers and practicing responsible behaviour,” said JPS in a release today.

Operations and Field Service Manager for the area, David Lewis, notes that the new openness to safety and doing the right thing, coupled with the implementation of JPS’ innovative anti-theft project in the community, have “dramatically” reduced electrical losses in the area.

He also noted that a part of the project included the installation of relatively inaccessible concentric cables and a Power Tough metering system, which made it more difficult to tamper with meters.

“Before we implemented the project we were losing over 15,000 kilowatt hours per month in Alligator Pond.  After the project, we made significant progress and are now losing less than 10 per cent of that figure,” Lewis explained, noting that Alligator Pond was selected due to the density of illegal connections in the area and the safety risk that existed. 

JPS pointed out that the bold initiatives of concerned JPS customers in the community who welcomed the project and wanted to see an end to unsafe illegal connections played a part in the reductions. 

“We had a town hall meeting and persons were concerned about the illegal connections which were posing a danger to residents going about their business, and now we are getting phone calls from persons saying that they are really happy that we are implementing this project in Alligator Pond. Because what they are concerned with is safety and also that they are paying and others are not paying,” Lewis explained.

“I am totally happy about what JPS is doing in the community. So many people have their cable, washing machine, big TV and everything and were not paying, that was not fair,” expressed one concerned resident in the area who preferred not to be named.

JPS said it will continue to work with community members to facilitate regularisation for all residents.