‘Proposed state-of-the-art C5 Police Centre well underway’
/ Our Today
administrator
Durrant Pate/Contributor
National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang has provided an update to parliament on the proposed police C5 Centre, which is a state-of-the-art command and control facility.
In a statement to Parliament on Tuesday (January 14), Chang told the House of Representatives that the centre is well underway expressing confidence that it will make a major dent in crime. He advised, “This centre will integrate, coordinate and analyse data in real-time from all available contact points, with the necessary back-end support. This development is crucial for modern policing and operational effectiveness.“
He said the establishment of the centre will represent a significant advancement in the government’s crime-fighting capabilities pointing to significant developments will also come from an upgrade to the JamaicaEye island-wide network of cameras, which he admits remains a critical tool in the crime-fighting arsenal.
Chang explained, “While we have faced challenges with the maintenance of these cameras due to the lack of specialised service providers with island-wide reach, we have now resolved this issue and the system will be maintained more efficiently going forward.”
Massive police compensation
The national security minister boasted about the massive increase in police compensation under his stewardship highlighting the significant increases in recurrent expenditure, particularly in the areas of compensation and training for the police. He notes that between the fiscal years 2016/2017 and 2024/2025, total recurrent spending for the police rose by a massive 146 per cent with employee compensation rising by a whopping by 143 per cent.
According to the minister, “Since the Compensation Review in 2022, the compensation expenditure for the police department has doubled. This demonstrates our firm commitment to improving the welfare of our police officers and ensuring they have the necessary support to perform their critical duties. We are not at all saying we have made the police officers rich, but we have taken concrete steps to improve their conditions of service. Through the training, the merit-based promotions and the improved compensation, we have shown the police officers a level of respect and professionalism never before seen.”
| Recurrent Expenditure | Fiscal Years | ||
| 2016/2017 | 2021/2022 | 2024/2025 | |
| Compensation of Employees | 28,327,776,000.00 | 34,506,961,000.00 | 68,756,497,000.00 |
| Other Recurrent Expenditure | 6,954,438,000.00 | 12,495,773,000.00 | 18,062,428,000.00 |
| Total Recurrent Expenditure | 35,282,214,000.00 | 47,002,734,000.00 | 86,818,925,000.00 |
| Recurrent Expenditure | Increases | |
| Since 2016/2017 | Since Compensation Review | |
| Compensation of Employees | 142.7% | 99.3% |
| Other Recurrent Expenditure | 159.7% | 44.5% |
| Total Recurrent Expenditure | 146.1% | 84.7% |
He reminded fellow MPs that Jamaica ended 2024 with a total of 1,141 murders, a reduction of over 260 murders or 19 per cent compared to 2023. This translates to a murder rate of approximately 40 per 100,000, placing Jamaica about seventh highest among all the Caribbean countries.
In conclusion, he remarked, “While this is still unacceptably high, we must acknowledge the significant progress made.”
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