MONTEGO BAY, St James — Two police stations in St James are expected to have certification, this year, to show that they meet globally recognised standards of service delivery.

According to Divisional Commander for the parish Senior Superintendent Eron Samuels, the Montego Bay and Coral Gardens stations have been tapped for ISO 9001 certification.

“We intend to ensure that our service delivery is at the ISO 9001 level for 2026,” said Samuels who has his sights set on expanding the initiative across St James.

“We are not just looking at these stations; what we want to do is ensure that whatever practices that should be at these stations, we want to ensure that all stations have that going on,” added the senior officer.

Samuels said ISO certification falls within his objectives in leading the division, which includes elevating the level of policing provided to all stakeholders. It is also in line with a wider ongoing thrust within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) to eventually have all stations across the country ISO 9001 certified. The Matilda’s Corner and Duhaney Park police stations as well as the Police Emergency Communication Centre were the first three JCF entities to start working towards achieving that goal.

Created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 9001 is a set of guidelines that can be followed in order to consistently achieve high-quality products or, as in the case of the police force, services. Gaining ISO certification means acquiring the seal of approval for being in compliance with the internationally recognised standards for quality management. Samuels noted that it will require significant effort and commitment from his team.

“It’s a big deal. It will take a lot of work both operationally and administratively but we’re going to try our best and we’re going to ensure that it is done,” he said.

The Montego Bay police station at Freeport in St James is one of two aiming for ISO 9001 certification this year.