By Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU:
THE JAMAICA Public Service Company (JPSCo) disconnected nearly 300 illegal electrical connections and seven-meter sockets in sections of Norwood, St. James during a two-day exercise that started Wednesday.
"For years we have been trying to get rid of illegal connections. What we have now is a more concerted effort to continuously carry out raids to deter people from connecting illegally and reduce the propensity for future electricity thieves," Major George Kates, General Manager of JPSCo's Asset Protection Department said.
He noted that his company had moved to implement a Revenue Protection Division (RPD) in Montego Bay because of the high incidence of illegal connections that has been observed in and around the second city. There are similar units in Kingston and Mandeville.
JPSCo workers who were on the exercise, which will be ongoing, were not met with any resistance from the residents given the absence of the security forces. Major Kates said that at times they receive police assistance but the lawmen are not always available to escort them to the different areas because of other "operational commitments". He said an average of 15 persons are arrested on the days when the police are involved in the operations.
"In Montego Bay there are softer areas where we can go without police but there are some no-go terrains where we just can't go unless we have a strong detachment of police and this is one of the things that has impeded our operations," he stated. "We don't blame the police for this, because they have their priorities to deal with but we hope that in the future there will be a bit more commitment from them."
