Supreme Court staff in Kingston raise alarms over security gaps and closed canteen

Staff at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston say they are worried about their safety on the compound and frustrated by the absence of canteen services, with some turning to the media after complaints to senior officials reportedly went unanswered.

Workers directed their concerns to the Minister of Justice and Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake. They said the canteen has been shut for around five years after authorities closed it over a reported fire risk, citing its location above a sensitive room in the court building on King Street.

Employees described having to move through surroundings they consider unsafe, with people of unsound mind present in the area daily. They said relief often comes only after entering the main court building. One worker recounted an incident in which a man struck a staff member at the front of the compound. On another occasion, a man reportedly drew a machete and threatened a cleaner outside the facility.

Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of sanction, one employee said repeated appeals had "been falling on deaf ears" and called on the minister and commissioner to intervene. Another worker said problems were often kept quiet internally, leaving issues unresolved until staff raised them publicly.

Staff also criticised security arrangements at the front of the compound. They said judges and attorneys do not park in that area, leaving employees without protection until they reach the building, while the public can enter the gate freely. Workers reported homeless people using the courtyard for water and vendors selling on the grounds. One auxiliary staff member was reportedly held up at the gate on the way to work.

"There is no security for the staff who might want to sit down in the courtyard on a daily basis," one employee said, adding that staff fear someone could be seriously harmed without intervention.

Before the closure, workers said subsidised lunches were available at the canteen, with members of the public who had court business also able to buy meals. Staff now rely largely on a vending machine and must leave the compound to find food, including those on long shifts from morning into the night.

An attorney commenting on the canteen issue said it was unfortunate that a vending machine had partly replaced canteen services, noting that three other court sites had benefited from the facility and that operations could have been subcontracted. On security, the attorney said outside the court "makes things look like a joke" and that the situation had long been unsatisfactory.