MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says it has been suffering at the hands of thieves in Manchester following the removal of 17 street lights from five areas in June.

JPS operations manager for Manchester and St Ann, Devon Willis said the theft is spread across the south-central parish.

“We are seeing where two street lights are missing from the Christiana area. In Knockpatrick, we are seeing where three of the street lights were removed,” he told Thursday’s sitting of the local municipality.

He said six street lights were stolen in Mile Gully, five in Newport, and one in Spur Tree.

He added that the company will be replacing the stolen street lights.

“The replacement of stolen lights has been affected by the supply chain, so if a light has been missing…. it takes some time for us to replace those lights,” he said.

Willis is appealing for residents to assist in securing street lights with a “protection eye” on the JPS network.

“No JPS employee should remove a street light to repair it; if a street light is placed upon a pole, it should be repaired there or replaced. We don’t want a contractor or some unscrupulous person telling you that they want to remove the street lights to go and repair it,” he said.

“We all know that street lights are a part of our security,” he added.

Councillor Jones Oliphant (People’s National Party, Mandeville Division) said the company needs to revisit the traceability of stolen street lights.

“Just about 11 months ago a lamp that was installed on Manchester Road below the Northern Caribbean University went missing and it is still missing. It is the second time in less than two years that lamp at that particular location has been missing,” he said.

“I know you have the traceability but what they [thieves] do is, whenever they remove the lamps they leave the trace behind,” he informed.

Meanwhile, Councillor Omar Miller (Jamaica Labour Party, Craighead Division) questioned the power company’s focus on electricity theft.

“… When a paying customer, for argument’s sake, misses a month’s pay or just doesn’t pay the light bill, within a week or two — on time — they are easily disconnected. You have a system set up for people who are delinquent in paying… then why is it that you cannot have a system in place for these same persons [disconnection crew] to go out there and find the illegal connections?” he asked.

He added that a greater focus on electricity theft would ease the burden on paying customers.