Above: National Security Minister Peter Bunting (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Jamaica National Security Minister Peter Bunting says the country’s security forces will require around 500 new vehicles per year over the next six years to operate effectively.

That number will include 400 for the Jamaica Constabulary Force and 100 per year for the Jamaica Defence Force.

The JCF currently has a fleet of 1,800 vehicles, with the government having had to abandon nearly 200 because they were “non-functional.”

Around 50 percent of the forces’ remaining units are more than 10 years old.

“A 10-year old police vehicle is like a 25 or 30 year old domestic vehicle, so you can imagine, (it will become) very, very inefficient,” he said.
According to Bunting, the Ministry has a replacement programme in place, having already spent J$600 million to purchase new vehicles for the JCF.