Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Gleaner Writer

THE JAMAICA Public Service Company (JPS) has embarked on what they call sustained operations in an effort to curb the level of illegal lights in the Corporate Area.

Omar Sweeny, regional director (East) of JPS told The Gleaner last week that things have to be done differently.

"We have changed our strategies. There are some specific communities which we have focused on which we call the red areas and we have started this morning (last Wednesday), and we will be in these areas every day," he said.

"We have done a number of operations over the years but, of course, as soon as we pull them down, the next morning, the poles are up again, so we have to do things different; so we are living in the areas now, because we know the areas, it's either them or us," he said.

Sweeny also said the initiative will be backed by the security forces.

"We have the full support of the security forces at the highest level of the commissioner of the police, because they too are aware of the severity of the situation. We go into a community and we are pulling down more than 3,000 throbs in a single day, there are more than 300 households in a community with only nine customers, it just can't work," he said.

Sweeny said the JPS is willing to work with customers in finding ways of assisting them in paying their bills.

jodi-ann.gilpin@gleanerjm.com