AN OVERDUE upgrade of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) training facilities in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, may start by December.

The dilapidated facilities have been restricting the JCF's plans to increase the size of the force from about 8,400 to 12,000 by next year, forcing it to accept fewer recruits currently than it should be accommodating.

The police can only recruit 200 prospects per batch, three times a year.

Fulfilling pledge

In 2005, the People's National Party pledged close to a billion dollars to improve the police training facilities, but the promise was not kept. As a result, the academy had to scale down recruitment.

The Government has now allocated $400 million from the Budget to complete the first phase of the upgrade.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Gilbert Scott, told The Gleaner that the building plans for the improvement work were with the St Catherine Parish Council and should next go to Cabinet for approval.

"The $400 million will allow us to provide training facilities for about 300 persons, plus the facilities for the instructors and other ancillary support," Scott said.

Responsibility

The first phase will focus on building new classrooms and dormitories, which are currently in a deplorable condition.

In a published interview with The Gleaner earlier this year, the JCF's human-resource director, Robert Rainford, said the police were being forced to rely on the services of the Mobile Reserve Unit to help shore up the manpower shortage to undertake ordinary police duties.

The unit is trained to deal with only extraordinary circumstances.

The current upgrade will be completed over three fiscal years at a cost of more than $1 billion.

Upon completion, it will churn out up to 1,500 graduates each year.