Wire theft by vandals slows Melissa electricity restoration in St Ann, says JPS

The Jamaica Public Service (JPS) says its efforts to restore electricity to customers in St Ann have been significantly set back by the theft of wires from its power delivery network, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Melissa.

JPS, in a media release on Tuesday, said several spans of transmission and distribution lines were stolen from a JPS work site in the Richmond community on Sunday night.

In addition to removing wires, vandals also cut sections of the remaining lines, making them unusable, the company noted.

JPS is strongly condemning the criminal act and appealing to the public to refrain from interfering with its infrastructure or removing material from its work sites.

The company has indicated that the theft of the wires and the damage to the lines have added at least another three days to the time customers in sections of St Ann will remain without electricity.

JPS noted that Sunday’s incident comes less than one week after a freshly planted utility pole in the community of Bonham Spring was deliberately cut at the base, resulting in recently restored customers losing electricity.

JPS is urging residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity of unscrupulous persons in their communities.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.