ANCHOVY, St James — National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has assured Jamaicans that marine patrol facilities across the island have not been sidelined and will receive the necessary attention in due course.

While acknowledging that considerable effort has already been made to enhance high seas patrol capabilities he explained that due to the pressing nature of violent crime and gang activity in communities across the country, the Government had to prioritise the upgrading and construction of police stations on land.

“There was an article recently on our marine patrol facilities. We know they are not in the best of shape, and we’ll work on getting those fixed,” said Dr Chang, who is also deputy prime minister.

“Given the high incidence of violence, gang activity in what you call the territorial areas on land, the police stations that were serving communities across Jamaica kind of took a higher priority in being done. [It’s] not a matter of disregarding them; they’ll be dealt with,” he said.

Dr Chang was speaking during Tuesday’s official opening of the newly constructed Anchovy Police Station, built at a cost of $200 million. The facility brings to 10 the number of new police stations the security minister has opened to date.

Ground was broken for the 5,300 square-foot, two-storey building in March 2022 and construction was supposed to be completed within two years. However, work only began in May 2023. The project was funded and managed by National Housing Trust under the Ministry of National Security’s Project Rebuild, Overhaul, and Construct (Project ROC).

Exuding confidence that the Jamaica Labour Party will retain power after the upcoming general election, Dr Chang noted that he will be opening yet another police station soon and two new divisional headquarters within a year.

“Today, this marks the 10th police station that I’m opening, new ones, number 10. I have one near opening in Little London, will make 11, another round figure. And we have two special ones that we will complete in another 12 months or so… and I’ll be there to open them,” he said, adding that there were others slated for construction.

“There’s another six that we have to complete, including Amity in St James, Bull Bay in East Rural St Andrew, Mocho in Clarendon, and Granville in St James — all going through what we call the public investment process — that we will ensure officers in these communities will have good quality places to work from. That’s a commitment we have done, that’s the policy of the Government, and the ROC programme is designed to do that,” he said.

The security minister reminded guests that after Anchovy Police Station became inhabitable, the police worked from the post office.

“If you could think of moving a police station, which had deteriorated to the point that it couldn’t be occupied, and then the only place you could put them, the post office, reflects a kind of thinking that was really primitive, embarrassing, and in fact, not in keeping with getting peace and good order in the society,” he argued.

On Tuesday, St James Southern Member of Parliament Homer Davis welcomed the new police station, which is in his constituency.

“Let’s be honest, security is not a luxury; it is a right. Today, we move one step closer to making that right a reality for Anchovy and surrounding areas. We are not just opening a building, we are opening the door to a stronger enforcement, swifter response, and deeper community trust,” Davis said.