ST JAMES, Jamaica — The High Command of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has labelled as ‘misleading’, claims made in a media report that the JCF has ordered its members to evacuate a dormitory facility ‘with no alternative arrangements for their accommodation’ being made.

In a statement Monday, the JCF outlined several alternative arrangements and support provided to members to facilitate the winding down of the dormitory usage following the end of the state of emergency (SOE) in St James in 2020.

Noting that the Team Works facility has been utilised by the force since the launch of the Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) in 2018, the JCF said it provided accommodation, initially, to over 100 members each month.

That number, it said, has since been reduced to 80 after the St James SOE came to an end in 2020.

The force said, however, that given that these members were part of a special deployment in the division, special accommodation was provided by JCF at considerable cost but asserted that the arrangement was never meant to be permanent and said this was always made clear to the members who were accommodated there.

According to the JCF, after much deliberation a decision was taken to wind down the force’s usage of the facility by July 26, 2021. This, it said, was communicated to the members resident there in May of 2021.

The JCF said they were given the options of being relocated to a division in which they could find suitable accommodation or remaining in St James and becoming part of the division’s assets.

According to the police high command, the majority of members elected to leave the division and were facilitated by the JCF in being transferred, however, approximately 30 members opted to remain in St James, claiming that they were able to find accommodations that would allow them to remain within the division.

The force said replacements for those departing members came in by way of initial postings from the National Police College of Jamaica.

In spite of the choices taken, the force said DCP Administration, DCP Operations and the Commander for Police Area 1, have all sought to work with the members to help relocate them to other accommodations, including at barracks facilities at the Freeport Police Station as well as in Trelawny.

As part of his mandate of transformation, Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, emphasised that the welfare of members as a major priority of his tenure.

“The accommodation of members — particularly in the St James division — has been given a high degree of attention as manifest in significant improvements to the Adelphi Police Station as well as the complete construction of the Mt Salem Police Station. We will continue to place the interests of our members foremost in all decision-making going forward,” said Commissioner Anderson.

“We thank our dedicated and hardworking members for their commitment to serving in all the JCF’s divisions and formation, particularly in communities where the level of violence has called for Emergency Security Measures. The High Command remains dedicated to protecting the welfare of all its members as we serve the nation as a Force for Good,” Anderson added.