KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) is facing a significant set back in their efforts to restore electricity to customers in St Ann due to theft of wires from the power delivery network, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

In a release on Tuesday, the electricity company shared that several spans of transmission and distribution lines were stolen from a JPS work site in the Richmond community on Sunday night. In addition to removing wires, vandals also cut sections of the remaining lines, making them unusable.

JPS shared that they are “strongly condemning the criminal act and appealing to the public to refrain from interfering with its infrastructure or removing material from its work sites”. The company has indicated that the theft of the wires and the damage to the lines have added at least another three days to the time customers in sections of the parish will remain without electricity.

This incident comes less than one week after a shocking act of sabotage, which saw a freshly planted utility pole in the community of Bonham Spring being deliberately cut at the base, resulting in recently restored customers losing electricity.

JPS is urging residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity of unscrupulous individuals in their communities.