Nish: Personal, police facilities damaged, but Hanover cops remain committed

WESTERN BUREAU:

Superintendent Andrew Nish, head of the Hanover Police Division, says the cops in the parish remain committed to serving the public despite personal property and some work facilities sustaining damage during Hurricane Melissa.

“During and after the hurricane, none of my officers reported any personal injuries, but quite a few of them had their personal properties damaged, and so we are doing the necessary, to try as best as possible to ensure that we try to get them back to some level of sanity,” Nish told The Gleaner on Thursday.

With five police stations, one police post and the divisional headquarters in the parish, Nish explained that like most residents in Hanover, the infrastructure at police facilities were also affected by the hurricane.

“The one most affected was the Ramble Police Station, which lost about 85 per cent of its roof,” he stated.

“The facility (living quarters) that the officers stay in, the roof was also completely blown off by the hurricane,” he added.

Nish said that Jamaica Constabulary Force personnel have done some amount of remedial work at the facility post hurricane, with a view to trying to keep the station operational, adding that the work will continue over the coming weekend.

“The divisional headquarters, in the rear section, the zinc on the roof was also blown off, causing leaking and flooding into some offices and other areas,” he told The Gleaner.

COMMITTED TO TASK

Nonetheless, Nish emphasised that the police personnel under his command are all still committed to their task, and will stop at nothing to make Hanover the most peaceful parish once again.

The Hanover Police Division ended 2024 with some 42 murders for the year and to date, it is seeing a slash in that figure by more than half.

“We are seeing a 52 per cent reduction in murders, and a 60 per cent reduction in shootings,” said Nish.

“Before Hurricane Melissa, we were at 17 murders as it relates to figures. Post Melissa, we are now at 20 murders. This compares with 42 at this time last year,” he said.

The commanding officer blamed interpersonal conflict for two of the murders committed after the hurricane, while in the other case, which involves a body found hands and feet bound and mouth gagged on the Orchard Beach in Hopewell, the police are actively pursuing leads.

Nish also made an appeal for persons using the roadways across the parish to be extremely careful and cautious while doing so.

“What you will find now is that post hurricane, there are still trees falling, while the slightest rainfall can cause floodings and land slippages, so I am appealing to all motorists, as they traverse the roadways, not to cross flooded drains. At nights, please exercise caution because there can be debris along those roadways that can cause accidents,” he stated.

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