Smart Policing a Central Strategy in Crime Fighting

Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, says the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will continue to employ the smart policing approach as a means of reducing crime in the country.

Mr. Bunting said the strategy, which is a combination of the hard and soft policing, has been successful in communities where it is being introduced.

“It essentially means that there will be instances when you have hardened, heavily armed, violent criminals that are creating mayhem in a particular community, and outbreak of gang violence, where you are going to need hard policing…but you only use hard policing when that is necessary. Beyond that, you use policing that’s appropriate for the situation,” he explained.

The National Security Minister was addressing members of the diplomatic community on February 11 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston. His presentation focused on strategies being employed by the Ministry to reduce crime in the country.

The Minister said the smart policing approach has been critical in achieving significant and sustained reduction in serious and violent crimes, which dropped 17 per cent last year.

“By the time I became Minister in 2012, we were seeing reductions in all major categories of crime but these were slowing down – seven per cent in 2012; six per cent in 2013; and by the middle of 2013, it became evident to me that we needed a new approach.

“We were putting in more resources, more men, more vehicles, and more legislation, and I didn’t feel that the returns we were getting were commensurate to that, so we needed a new approach,” he contended.

As part of smart policing, Mr. Bunting said there have been increased efficiencies through the merger of several branches of the JCF, as well as the removal of certain chargeable offences from the books, which has enabled the police to focus their resources where they are most needed.

“Thousands of police man-hours were taken arresting persons for minor offences, primarily possession of ganja,” he pointed out.

There is also strong emphasis on increasing citizen involvement through community policing, and implementation of initiatives such as ‘Unite for Change’ and the ‘Stay Alert App’.

“The police alone cannot solve crime. Violent crime, in particular, is not just a police problem and, in fact, it is a cop-out when you look at it only as a police problem,” he said.

Unite for Change is national movement and public awareness campaign aimed at uniting Jamaicans in the fight against crime. It seeks to increase the participation of citizens in their safety planning.

The ‘Stay Alert’ App, which is part of the strategy, allows persons to send photos and videos to the police control centre and there is a panic mode to alert law enforcement in times of crisis.

Jamaica has seen a 40 per cent reduction in the number of homicides committed between 2009 and 2014.