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National Security Minister, Hon. Peter Bunting has appealed to Jamaicans to be their “brother’s keeper” and to avoid turning a blind eye to domestic violence. He emphasised that Jamaicans must find a way to intervene if they become aware of domestic disputes in their communities, as what often appears to be a small matter can escalate into a dangerous situation....

Legislation to strengthen the efforts of law enforcement to effectively combat the illicit lottery scam was laid before the House of Representatives on February 26. The Law Reform (Fraudulent Transactions) (Special Provisions) Act 2012, which was tabled by Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, makes specific provisions for offences relating to advanced fee fraud and other fraudulent transactions. According...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has received an additional 15 vehicles to strengthen its crime fighting efforts in resort areas across five rural parishes. The brand-new Toyota Corolla motor cars, acquired by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) at a cost of $28.2 million, were handed over to Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, during a ceremony held on Wednesday, February 27,...

Newly appointed Contractor General, Dirk Harrison, is imploring all stakeholders to assist his office in a renewed fight against corruption. “It cannot be business as usual. We cannot keep ‘passing the buck’…waiting for the next generation or the next person to solve or begin to seriously tackle the ills of today. We must be prepared to do whatever it takes,...

Minister of National Security, Hon Peter Bunting, says that over the last few years, Jamaica has made major strides in reducing the flow of drugs into the island. He noted that in 2001, it was estimated that 21 per cent of cocaine that ended up in the United States (US) market came through the Caribbean, and that in 2012 that...

Thousands of residents living in the sprawling housing development of Longville Park, Clarendon, are set to benefit from the construction of a 50-man police station in their community. Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, said the National Housing Trust (NHT), has provided $50 million for the construction of the station by December 2013.  The station will initially house...

Crime-fighting efforts have received another boost in the form of the island’s first Virtual Reference Station network (VRS), which features precise tracking capabilities that can assist in the policing of troubled areas. Speaking at the launch and commissioning of the VRS, code-named gFIX.net, at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston on February 7, Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate...

There was a 50 per cent reduction in murders in St. James for the last quarter of 2012, Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, has announced. He attributed this decrease to the outrage of citizens over the rape of five females in Irwin last year, and vital information given to the police on wrongdoers by the citizens. Delivering the...

Youth and Culture Minister, Hon. Lisa Hanna, says that the Government will be equipping one police station per parish to deal with issues relating to children. Addressing the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew held on Tuesday, January 29, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, she informed that the police stations have been identified and...

The Interim Report by the Public Defender on the incursion of the security forces into Tivoli Gardens and related matters has been delayed for over five months and is still not completed. After repeated missed deadlines for its tabling in Parliament, the Parliamentary Commission headed by the Speaker, the Hon. Michael Peart, met with the Public Defender, Mr. Earl Witter,...

The Jamaica Customs Department is looking to implement a new international Information Technology (IT) system to automate custom processes and compile accurate trade statistics. The programme, the Asycuda World Information System, is currently used in over 85 countries. Commissioner of Customs, Major Richard Reese, made the announcement at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Thank’, held on January 23. Major...

The Customs Department is reporting revenue collection of $92.61 billion for the period April to December 2012. The amount, while an increase of $9.37 billion or 11 per cent over the same period last year, was a shortfall of $1.15 billion or 1 per cent against the target of $93.77 billion. “We are one per cent behind our year-to-date target...