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Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, has announced that the Government is in the process of reviewing the legislation governing the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM),  to ensure that the relationship between that body and the Jamaica Police Federation become more wholesome and effective. “There is an inherent tension in the relationship between any INDECOM-type agency and the Police...

Three police stations in Kingston and St. Catherine are slated to be to be upgraded by the Government this fiscal year, at a cost of $41 million. The improvement works will be done under the Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP) II, which is funded by the European Union (EU). As contained in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House...

A total of $9 million has been allocated by the government for the general repair and upkeep of two of the country’s major adult correctional institutions. This is set out in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, which were tabled in the House of Representatives on May 10. Of the sum,  $4.5 million will be used to facilitate the repair of...

Children’s Advocate, Diahann Gordon Harrison, is urging the government to ensure that a solid legislative framework and sound policies are in place to hold perpetrators of child abuse accountable for their actions. “This will, of course, build confidence in the system and it will encourage victims to participate because they know that some justice is there for them,” Mrs. Gordon...

The Government has earmarked a total of $44.9 million for the continuation of activities under the Correctional Services Production Company (COSPROD). This is set out in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, which is currently before the House of Representatives. Implemented by the Ministry of National Security, the project will see the continuation of initiatives at the Tamarind Farm Adult Correctional...

A sum of $315 million has been set aside in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditures, currently before the House of Representatives, to undertake a number of developmental initiatives for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF). The bulk of the funds, $105 million, will make possible the acquisition of two fixed wing aircraft for the Jamaica Military Aviation School. An additional $37.4...

A total of $595.8 million has been allocated to the Energy Security and Efficiency Enhancement Project in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. The project, which got underway in August 2010, aims to promote private sector investment in the energy sector by updating the regulatory framework, preparing projects for investment decisions, and increasing...

The government of Jamaica’s capacity to reduce the cultivation, production and trafficking of illicit drugs, is being boosted through a $252 million allocation to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. This is contained in the 2012-2013 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. Supported through funding from the United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the...

Commissioner of Police, Owen Ellington, says the government is moving to strengthen legislation, which will keep lawbreakers off the streets. He said for the police to have a tight rein on crime and criminal activities in Jamaica, people, who break the law, must be locked away and denied their freedom.   “As long as criminals have the freedom to move about...

A sum of $84.9 million has been allocated to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Accountability Programme in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure now before the House of Representatives. The programme aims to strengthen the investigative capacity of the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and to fulfil its mandate of external oversight of the JCF. The allocation for 2012/13 will go...

A sum of $6 million has been earmarked in the 2012-2013 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives, for the Jamaica National Crime Victimisation Survey. The project is being implemented by the Ministry of National Security, with support funding from the United Kingdom Department of International Development (DFID). Objectives under the programme, which is scheduled to run from...

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Jamaica, Robert Fuderich, has made an appeal for the region to "break the silence" surrounding child abuse to end the scourge, which is affecting a significant number of children. He informed that an estimated six million children in Latin America and the Caribbean suffer severe abuse, including abandonment, and 80,000 children die each...