By Carlos E. Hernandez
The receipt of patrol vessels and radars is part of the Ministry of National Security’s procurement and infrastructure construction plans for the new fiscal year that has just begun.
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed this during the 2023/24 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives of Parliament.
Previously, the various projects related to the Defense Force and the Constabulary Force were presented last February by the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Nigel Clarke, before the House, as Infodefensa.com reported.
DEFENSE FORCE
Andrew Holness pointed out that the country “will receive two additional offshore patrol vessels to strengthen maritime domain awareness and control over the country’s territorial waters”.
In this regard, it should be recalled that three years ago or more, Jamaica negotiated with Damen the acquisition of four patrol vessels: two FCS 5009 Patrol types, whose first unit was delivered in July 2020, and two Stan Patrol 4207, receiving the first one at the end of 2021, as also reviewed by Infodefensa.com.
Holness added that the construction of “the Coastal Surveillance System, which includes long-range radars to help secure the country’s 1,022 kilometers of coastline, among other things,” is being managed.
Other ongoing projects on the part of the Defense Force refer to establishing a Cyber Academy “to train personnel and create a professional workforce for cyber security and defense for the Government and industry in Jamaica.”
POLICE FORCE
The Prime Minister outlined the plans being implemented and scheduled to strengthen the Constabulary Force, noting that 134 police facilities out of the 200 planned have been recently constructed, renovated, expanded, or are in progress.
In addition, the microwave and radio communication network will be expanded, and the Station Records Management System will be implemented. Twenty-three locations are in progress, with another 120 to be operational by the end of FY 2023/2024.
Likewise, the acquisition of the Multiple Biometric Identification System is planned “to facilitate the efficient processing of criminal records, and the acquisition of a Command, Communications, Computing, Control and Coordination Center (C5), which will connect and integrate Jamaica Eye, communications and traffic management and other electronic public safety systems into one intelligent processing area.”
Finally, he pointed out that in the last two years, the police force has increased the number of its personnel from 11,000 to close to 13,000.
With information from Infodefensa