Several Laws Passed in 2013 Have Strengthened Security Efforts – Minister Bunting

Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, is reporting that many of the 40 pieces of legislation passed by Parliament during calendar year 2013, have strengthened the security of the country, and will also benefit the economy.

“We have had some very fundamental pieces of legislation to do with our economy, to do with crime, and a whole range of matters,” he stated, at the handing over of 89 new vehicles to the police, at the Police Commissioner’s Office, in Kingston, on December 23.

“This represents some serious groundbreaking work. Within the Ministry of National Security, we have very fundamental pieces of work going on,” he said.

The Minister highlighted that under the Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act 2013, otherwise called the lottery scam law, “we have had scores of arrests, and every case that has come up for trial, so far, has resulted in a conviction.”

“Previously, we were having a lot of challenges with lottery scammers, because legislation just did not address the modern ways of committing these types of fraud, and we designed, from start to finish, this piece of legislation, and we are seeing the benefit of it,” he noted.

Mr. Bunting warned that business operations which breach the cash transaction ceiling of $1 million will be prosecuted, as the Financial Investigation Division (FID), and the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Task Force (MOCA), will be going after the offenders.

He pointed out that the law was established after careful analysis by Jamaican authorities who reviewed crimes associated with money transactions.

“This was something that we initiated, because of the increase in murders during robberies. The law was passed at the end of October, so businesses have had a couple of months to adjust. Again, I am sending a warning to all businesses which have not yet come into compliance with this new law.  I am asking the FID and MOCA to start some surveillance of these businesses to ensure that they are in compliance. No matter how big company is, the law must apply to everyone equally,” he emphasized.

The Minister assured that the DNA and Anti Crime legislation will be passed during the first quarter of 2014, adding that the Act against human trafficking has put Jamaica in good stead to fight the activity.

He pointed out that while laws are amended and new ones enacted, social intervention initiatives will be increased to tackle crimes. Mr. Bunting said the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) “has more resources coming into this social intervention programme than we probably ever had, and more directly for social intervention.”