INTRODUCTION…
Our systems of national security, policing, law enforcement and justice are facing a range of rapidly evolving challenges. Criminals are using modern cyber-technology and psychological tactics.
They are becoming increasingly innovative, developing new forms of crime, and expanding their international cooperation. It is clear that incremental adjustments to the way we do things will not provide an adequate response. There is a need for a completely new framework of law enforcement, based on:
1. Transparency, trust, and credibility;
2. Strong measures against gangs, major criminals and the people who facilitate criminal operations;
3. The structuring of the security organizations to maximize their adaptability and effectiveness; given severe economic constraints;
4. Cooperation of all agencies of government in crime prevention, and
5. Accelerating the pace of the judicial process.
My contribution to this debate begins with a brief analysis of crime trends to establish the context, before looking at the recent performance and initiatives within the Ministry of National Security, and its primary departments and agencies. I will then outline the strategic direction that this administration will be charting for public security in the medium term, and close with a call to action for the whole of Jamaican society.
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