Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
( L - R ) THOMAS and LEWIN
OCHO RIOS:
BOTH THE chief of staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin and Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas, are optimistic that there respective forces will have enough personnel in place, along with equipment, to provide adequate security during the staging of the Cricket World Cup tournament in March next year.
Speaking in separate interviews with The Gleaner on Saturday in Moneague, St. Ann, both heads of the security forces said preparations for the event were already in progress and that apart from concerns, things appeared to be going very well.
"Preparations are moving at pace. Of course, the capabilities that we need, we are adding as we go along, and so by the time it comes around we will be fully prepared," said a confident Rear Admiral Lewin.
He said the JDF recently hosted a major regional exercise in crowd control involving some 17 countries including the United States and the United Kingdom and that the skills and the standards attained will be continually rehearsed.
ONGOING RECRUITMENT DRIVE
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the JDF are engaged in an ongoing recruitment drive and on Saturday a passing-out parade was held in Moneague for 101 JDF recruits.
Commissioner Thomas said recruitment is also going well for the police force in moving from its present establishment from 8,500 to a target of 12,000 and he said that by 2007, the numbers in the force are expected to have grown considerably.
Commissioner Thomas who made history on Saturday by becoming the first police commissioner to take the salute of the JDF at a passing-out parade, publicly praised the JDF for assisting the police in bringing calm to some volatile communities as well as for an overall reduction in major crimes.
In his address to the large gathering, the commissioner said the police was involved in a series of training programmes with the JDF and will be involved in more collaborative efforts leading up to Cricket World Cup 2007.
Commissioner Thomas also had high praises for Rear Admiral Lewin, for leading the effort in the ongoing process of modernisation of the JDF.
