Greater Use of Technology to Further Reduce Crime Recommended

Greater use of technology is being recommended to further reduce crime in Jamaica.

This has been proposed by Science, Energy and Technology Minister, Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley.

He contends that the level of sophistication to which crime has been elevated through the use of technology, justifies the police moving to adopt more innovative approaches to curtailing it.

Dr. Wheatley cited lottery scamming as an example of the cybercrimes that “are at the forefront of most criminal activities” in Jamaica, which he said must be tackled head-on through greater use of technology.

The Minister was speaking with JIS News following the launch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Body-worn Camera Project at the Police Commissioner’s Office in Kingston, on August 25.

Dr. Wheatley described the project as a “good initiative” and praised the United States Government for its collaborative support.

“We have seen all across the world where body cameras are part of the process to ensure protection of the rights of citizens as well as police officers,” he said.

The Minister noted that the device provides a “third eye” which ensures that in the event of disputes between the police and civilians, it will “assist in the process (of settlement) and bring to bear the truth in most or all instances.”

Meanwhile, Commanding Officer for the JCF’s Information and Communication Technology Division, Superintendent Norris Rhoomes, said the cameras can archive up to 10 hours of imagery captured during the day or night.

Additionally, he said the cameras were tamper-proof, with each device bearing a serial number that would be tagged to the police officers to whom they were assigned.