Eight municipal police personnel will take to the streets of Negril and Savanna-la-mar on March 3, where they will work to cut down on illegal parking and vending and restore order to the towns.
The group, which comprises five females and three males, was trained at the Police Academy in Twickenham Park, St Catherine. They will be sworn into office by custos of Westmoreland, b asil Sinclair, on February 21.
At a recent meeting of the Westmoreland Parish Council, Mayor of Savanna-la-mar, Bertel Moore, congratulated the group for successfully completing the rigorous three-week training course and for being the first batch of municipal police for the parish.
Outlined duties
In terms of the duties that they will perform, he outlined that they will be visiting the car parks and dealing with the taxi operators, who are illegally parked on the streets. "They will also be going to the markets to deal with vendors who illegally sit on the streets and sell their wares, blocking several areas and causing undue congestion of traffic. They will also be dealing with proper disposal of solid waste, thereby ensuring that the streets are kept clean," Mayor Moore said.
Power to prosecute
He explained that the municipal police will have the power to prosecute persons who are found to be littering the streets or certain areas of the town.
He called on citizens and representatives of the parish council to give the police personnel their full support as they carry out their duties. He further urged the municipal police to put into practice the high level of training they received, and to use good judgement at all times.
"I am happy for this," Mayor Moore said. "I strongly believe that economically, the parish of Westmoreland will benefit greatly from the work of the municipal police, because if we can get the taxis and the buses to go into the car parks, then we can make some more money and with their vigilance on the streets, they will be able to keep the streets cleaner," he added.
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