City of Kingston history

In 1897 the Police Department began using horses for patrol and wagons for transport of prisoners.

In 1899, the results of the first City of Kingston Civil Service test for Police Officers were filed, and subsequently, the Kingston Police became a Civil Service Department.

In 1900 a bicycle was purchased for patrol.

The Church of St Thomas, on King Street, the chief thoroughfare, was first built before 1699 but was rebuilt after the earthquake in 1907.

Patrols became motorized in 1917 with the purchase of a touring sedan and an ambulance.

In March 1918, on duty Officer John Boyd suffered fatal injuries when a train struck the trolley he was riding at the Broadway crossing.

And in February 1919, Officer James Lawrence suffered a fatal stab wound during a struggle with a prisoner he had been taking to headquarters.

The windows were dedicated in honour of Kingston’s Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Nursing Sisters who served overseas in the Great War in 1921.

Beginning as early as 1925 the Canadian government had begun looking at possible designs for a national symbol that would represent the new country.

There were many battles after which the prisoner was laid up of repairs and the officers found it necessary to purchase new coats, trousers and helmets." Police Chief J Allan Wood (1936) describing the early days of the Kingston Police Department

The departmental budget for the first full year of operation was $7,500.00 and didn’t exceed $100,000 until 1947.

The University of the West Indies (founded 1948) is at Mona, 5 miles (8 km) from Kingston’s city centre.

The City of Moorabbin had a population of 109,588 by the time of the 1971 census.

A Hostage Negotiations Unit, led by Officer George Deyo was established in October 1974 and presently has five FBI-trained Negotiators assigned by this department.

Kingston Police Department began hosting the present-day Police Academy in 1975.

In 1982, seven department members, who would go on to become the first SWAT team, received Counter-sniper training, Defensive Tactics and Police SWAT training.

The Narcotics Unit was established in 1989 and has grown proportionately to the increased drug trafficking and substance abuse in our community, which is often accompanied by weapons and violence.

A government-owned railway ran from Kingston to most of Jamaica’s 14 parishes over 210 miles (340 km) of track until 1992, when operation ceased because of lack of funding and low passenger usage.

The A-Grade office building was built in 1993.