JG - Millions spent on bullets - Approximately $140m in one year

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Jamaica Gleaner

Millions spent on bullets - Approximately $140m in one year

Published: Sunday March 7, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions

Tyrone Reid, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

ARMING THE police force is not cheap.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"Documents viewed under the Access to Information (ATI) Act have revealed that from August 2007 to September 2008, the police spent US$400,242 (J$35.925 million) to purchase ammunition, while ?840,750 (J$122.7 million) was used to purchase guns.

At today's rate of exchange, that amounts to approxi-mately $140 million on ammunition for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)."

"The official document made mention of Taylor and Associates, an arms-brokering business in Lauderhill, Florida, that was at the centre of a major security blunder involving the JCF.

But the police argued that the botched deal with Taylor and Associates was a "first-time purchase".
Notwithstanding, senior operatives in the constabulary were embarrassed after US authorities advised them that they bad been buying bullets from an unlicensed dealer. That dealer - Lance Brooks - is now behind bars.

But not before the blunder cost Jamaican taxpayers close to US$61,000, as the State was only able to recover US$20,122 of the US$81,100 (approximately J$6 million at the time) that was paid to Brooks for 270,000 rounds of jacketed soft-point ammunition."

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"The documents also revealed that the assistant commissioner of police for the Firearm and Tactical Training Unit, in conjunction with Police Headquarters Stores and Armoury, are responsible for ensuring that adequate stocks of bullets are available."

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com