Thieves steal newly installed LED lights

Councillors at the monthly meeting of the St Ann Municipal Corporation on Thursday expressed gratitude to Jamaica Public Service (JPS) parish manager for St Ann and Trelawny, Janice Carr, for installing LED street lights in several communities in the parish.

However, several councillors complained that the lights were already being stolen by culprits.

Kieron Frazer, a JPS reliability technician who accompanied Carr to the meeting, reported that the light-and-power company had replaced 795 HPS lights with LED ones across the parish so far.

The LED project started in May and is expected to result in over 5,000 street lights being substituted for LEDs.

Outside of the replacements, repairs are being done to the street lamps where necessary.

Councillor for the St Ann’s Bay division, Dallas Dickenson, started the series of thank yous to Carr, highlighting the effects the lights have had on Bravo Street in that town and noting that the community was grateful.

Lambert Weir of the Claremont division, while thanking the parish manager, highlighted the fact that it was representation by the councillors that led to JPS starting the project.

Delroy Kelly of the Moneague division and Genevor Gordon-Bailey of the Lime Hall division were also among those who said thanks to JPS.

Areas where thefts have been reported include Claremont and Moneague, although the lights have tracking devices.

“There is a tracking device, but thieves have got wind of it and have figured out [how] to steal the fixture without the tracker being affected,” Carr stated.

C.G.