MAYOR: It is unbecoming of municipal police destroying goods

MAYOR: It is unbecoming of municipal police destroying goods

June 17, 2020 0 By Horace Mills

Norman Scott, Chairman of the St. Catherine Parish Council and Mayor of Spanish Town. Photo Credit:

Chairman of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation, Norman Scott, said it would be unusual and unbecoming for the organization’s officers to destroy goods and handcarts during operations to restore order to town centres.

He made the declaration amid claims that Municipal police yesterday destroyed about 10 handcarts and their contents on Fletcher’s Avenue in Linstead, St. Catherine. A video of a purported officer in action has gone viral.

Mayor Scott said he has asked the Municipal police to furnish him with a report on the incident by Friday this week, adding that the affected vendors should meet with him.

The mayor told The Beacon that, although he is awaiting the report, he generally would not support handcarts being demolished and goods destroyed.

“It is unbecoming of them (Municipal police) destroying goods; I don’t know of them ever destroying goods or handcarts. I know of them seizing them and confiscating the goods,” he said. “It would be customary for them to seize the carts and confiscate goods and ticket these offenders, and they would come back for their goods and pay for their handcarts and all of that. That’s the customary thing.”

Mayor Scott stated that he is usually not made aware when the Municipal police, along with members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), are conducting operations.

“From time to time the Municipal team, along with the JCF, conduct operations. I am not really told as to when they are doing the operations in the town centres in and around the market areas. They do that in Spanish Town, Linstead and Old Harbour,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive officer of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation, Andre Griffiths, declined to comment on the incident that unfolded in Linstead yesterday. He noted that he is awaiting a report from the officers.

ALSO READ: Mayor to meet vendors – his officers allegedly destroy goods in Linstead


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