These cars are just a few of the many dilapidated ones that can be found at The Police Transport and Repairs Unit - Dwayne McLeod

While several police stations across the island are forced to make do with one service vehicle, and in some instances none at all, THE STAR has learned that a large number of damaged vehicles at the Police Transport and Repairs Department are yet to be fixed.

Though both the transport manager, Errol Reid, and Deputy Superintendent Kenute Bignall, in charge of the department, declined to comment on the matter, a source at the unit told THE STAR that there were over 150 vehicles needing repair.

He said most of the vehicles were brought in because they were involved in accidents, but said others were taken in because of other problems, including engine and transmission malfunctions.

Said the source, "Anything that can be wrong with a vehicle is wrong with most of them."

The majority of these vehicles, he also revealed, have been at the unit for the last four to six months.

Among the estimated 150 vehicles are some of the newest vehicles received by the force, and THE STAR was told, "About 22 per cent of these vehicles are new. Most of them are cars, and most are like 2002 to 2007 vehicles."

It seems high-speed chases in and around Kingston have taken their toll on the vehicles, as most of them that were involved in accidents are from stations in the Corporate Area.

While admitting that there were instances where sourcing parts was an issue, the source told THE STAR that "There is no justifiable reason for the state that they're in. No excuse is good enough. It's hard to source some parts, but we've never had such a wide-scale problem."

Mechanics available

The source also revealed that "there are more than enough mechanics," and that on average it would take about $200,000 to repair each car.

When THE STAR visited the unit, several dilapidated vehicles were seen on the compound. Some were almost completely covered in rust, while the fenders and bumpers of others were barely attached to the cars. Of the cars THE STAR saw, many were from the St. Andrew North division, while a few were from St. Catherine North. One vehicle from St. Elizabeth was also seen.

While so many vehicles are rotting, there are some stations that could benefit from the restoration of these units.

An officer from the Amity Hall Police Station in St. James, told THE STAR that the one vehicle they had was not enough.

"Wi have one piece up ya, but it nuh really work. A it wi a gwaan wid. A nuh di bes' an' it can't go a some a di area dem, but wi a gwaan wid it."

At the Cedar Valley Police Station in St.Thomas, the sentiment was the same.

"Wi nuh have no car. Wi only have one likkle jeep, no bike and no bicycle. It is not enough, wi need at least one more jeep, 'cause di area not suitable fi car."

The officer said their operations were limited by the lack of resources.

Over at the station in Mocho, things were the same. An officer told THE STAR, "Wi have one jeep an no car. Wi need nuff more 'cause wi haffi a work very hard. Wi need more vehicle and more personnel too."

A senior officer from the Police Traffic Division told THE STAR that while they are trying to make the best of their resources, "we can take more cars. The ones that we have don't have any time to cool off, so they can't rest. I don't think you'll find anywhere that has the number of cars they need."

Director of communications for the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Karl Angell, to whom THE STAR was referred by officials at Transport and Repairs, said Deputy Commissioner Jevene Bent would not be commenting on the matter at this time.