The Police Civilian Oversight Authority (PCOA) will conduct an inspection of the St. Elizabeth Division running from June 15 to 17. As part of the Authority’s mandatory annual divisional inspection schedule, the evaluation will cover all 11 stations within the division. They are as follows: Balaclava, Maggotty, Shloah, Junction, Nain, Pedro Plain, Lacovia, New Market, Santa Cruz, Malvern and Black River.
“This standard operational audit ensures compliance, transparency and accountability within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF),” said Andrew Beaumont, Senior Director, Inspection and Monitoring,
The inspection will entail an examination of general records, namely the Station Diary, Firearm, Register, General Property Book, Sudden Death Register and CR-10; station administration, which includes looking at the last divisional inspection done at the station; and Prisoners in Custody (PIC) records, prisoner and cell condition as well as capacity.
“Our divisional inspections are comprehensive as we seek to determine areas of strength and weakness,” said Mr. Beaumont, “We also look at the management and physical state of the stations. This includes observing the presence of derelict motor vehicles on the compound, the efficiency of security apparatus, the structural integrity of buildings and overall station clutter,” he added.
Under the PCOA Act of 2005, the PCOA is responsible for the inspection of police stations, lock-ups and other agencies of the JCF, conducting a minimum of one major divisional inspection per year.
Since its first inspection of the St. Elizabeth Division in 2009, the PCOA has inspected this specific division 8 times. The division’s reigning Top Station in the 2022 Area 3 Transforming Our Police Service (TOPS) Competition is Pedro Plains, while the Black River Station won the Dr. Marshall Hall Award as the most improved station in records management in 2024.