NSWMA recruiting more than 100 enforcement officers to tackle illegal dumping
Key Points(5)
- The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is recruiting more than 100 enforcement officers to strengthen its crackdown on illegal dumping across Jamaica.
- Executive Director Audley Gordon said the recruitment drive forms part of efforts to establish a stronger Enforcement and Compliance Unit, which is expected to have a greater presence across the island next year.
- Speaking with journalists during a recent cleanup of the garbage holding area in Norwood, St.
- James, Gordon said the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) would administer entrance examinations and train the new recruits.
- Training is scheduled to begin during the first week of November at the National Police College of Jamaica’s Camp Verley Training Campus in St.
The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) is recruiting more than 100 enforcement officers to strengthen its crackdown on illegal dumping across Jamaica.
Executive Director Audley Gordon said the recruitment drive forms part of efforts to establish a stronger Enforcement and Compliance Unit, which is expected to have a greater presence across the island next year.
Speaking with journalists during a recent cleanup of the garbage holding area in Norwood, St. James, Gordon said the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) would administer entrance examinations and train the new recruits.
Training is scheduled to begin during the first week of November at the National Police College of Jamaica’s Camp Verley Training Campus in St. Catherine.
Gordon said increasing the number of enforcement officers would allow the agency to intensify operations in communities struggling with illegal dumping.
“We are building an enforcement unit that will be serious, that will be decisive because while we court the better behaviour, while we beg and beseech, there will come a time when we’re going to have to just enforce the law [to its fullest extent],” he said.
He reiterated his call for Jamaicans to take responsibility for their waste and ensure it is disposed of properly.
Residents with bulky items, including mattresses, refrigerators and other household waste, are being encouraged to contact the NSWMA to arrange appropriate disposal.
Gordon warned against using vacant lots and secluded areas as dumping grounds simply because they appear suitable for disposing of unwanted items.
“[Not] because you see an open lot or a corner that is secluded [means] you can just dispose of what you don’t need anymore. We don’t believe this is how we should operate,” he said.
