Westmoreland man arrested for stealing JPS poles, another held while attempting to steal electricity

The police in Westmoreland have made arrests as law enforcement intensifies efforts to clamp down on the theft of Jamaica Public Service (JPS) property and illegal activities.

In one incident, a man was arrested after he was found in the process of illegally connecting electricity.

The police were alerted, and he was subsequently taken into custody at the Savanna-la-Mar Police Station.

In a separate operation, police discovered 17 utility poles bearing the JPS brand mark at the premises of another individual.

The man was taken into custody at the Whithorn Police Station as investigations continue into the unauthorised possession of JPS infrastructure.

JPS has welcomed the recent arrests, charging that these actions threaten the safety and reliability of the electricity grid.

“Illegal connections and the theft of utility assets slow down restoration efforts and put lives at risk,” JPS said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We understand the frustration of being without electricity, but attempting to bypass established processes can result in serious injury, prolonged outages or even loss of life. Our teams are working tirelessly to safely restore supply, and we urge the public to play their part by rejecting illegal activity and reporting suspicious behaviour,” the company added.

JPS said it continues Hurricane Melissa restoration work on what it describes as the ‘last mile’— a phase that requires significant effort to reconnect a smaller number of customers, particularly in areas where sections of the grid must be redesigned and rebuilt.

As of today, 94% of customers are with supply, said JPS.

The company says approximately six per cent or an estimated 40,000 customers, remain without power as teams continue restoration efforts in western Jamaica, which sustained extensive damage during the passage of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

JPS is reminding customers to remain vigilant and to verify the identity of anyone claiming to represent the company.

Customers are advised that no one should request payment to connect them to the electricity grid.

Any such activity should be reported to the nearest police station or by sending a text or WhatsApp message to JPS at 876-499-2061.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.