Jamaica Recruiting Over 100 Enforcement Officers to Tackle Illegal Dumping

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) says it is recruiting more than 100 enforcement officers as part of efforts to strengthen its crackdown on illegal dumping across the island . 

NSWMA Executive Director Audley Gordon said the recruitment exercise would bolster the agency’s Enforcement and Compliance Unit, allowing for a greater presence in communities affected by improper waste disposal.

Speaking during a recent clean-up exercise in Norwood, St. James, Gordon said the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) would administer entrance examinations and provide training for the recruits.

Training is scheduled to begin in the first week of November at the National Police College of Jamaica’s Camp Verley Training Campus in St. Catherine.

Gordon said the expanded enforcement unit was expected to become more visible across the island next year, with increased emphasis on ensuring compliance with waste disposal regulations.

“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,” he said.

The NSWMA head also urged Jamaicans to take greater responsibility for proper garbage disposal, warning against the practice of dumping household waste on vacant lots and in secluded areas.

He encouraged residents seeking to dispose of bulky items, including mattresses, refrigerators and other household materials, to contact the agency to arrange collection.

“[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,” Gordon said.