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Video Identification System Boosts Police’s Crime Fighting Capacity

January 30, 2009

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The crime fighting capacity of the Jamaica Constabulary Force has been boosted by the introduction of a Video Witness Identification System.
Speaking with JIS News on a tour of the facility at the Kingston Central Police Station Wednesday (January 28), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Les Green, said that this new system would improve the effectiveness and fairness of identification parades.
“The images from this system will be far superior to the conventional ID parade. They are far fairer, better quality, excellent lighting, excellent recording facilities and a very robust mechanism around the system”, ACP Green asserted.
He said that the identification system will encompass a process whereby the head and shoulder moving images of suspects, either from an existing or new recording process, is compiled using a database of volunteer images with similar description. This he said will later be shown to the witness, in the presence of the suspect’s attorney or a Justice of the Peace, to ensure the highest integrity.
ACP Green said that the introduction of the new system will result in a quicker identification process.
“Having this system means that we will now have a speedy identification process”, he said.
Mr. Green said he was confident that it would meet the Jamaican standard.
“It has stood up in other countries, under the most testing circumstances. Obviously, it has to meet the standards in Jamaica…I believe it certainly will…it will stand up to any challenges providing the proper codes of practice and procedures by the identification officers are followed”, he explained.
He said that the volunteers’ identities would be kept anonymous. They will only be identified by a reference number.
“We do not know who they are.once their image is entered in the system they are assigned a unique reference number…if they have connections, it makes no difference at the moment”, ACP Les Green said.
Mr. Green noted that, although the system will be ready in February, the JCF would continue to use the current identification system. The new system will be placed in the main crime zones and the most populated sections of the country.
In preparation for the implementation, two officers from the United Kingdom Metropolitan Police Service, have trained six police sergeants, who have since sensitised over 157 other police personnel through lectures and seminars, and this is to continue.
A Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) recording system is also being installed to ensure the highest security and integrity of the identification system.

Last Updated: August 30, 2013

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