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Mandeville, Manchester - Citing delays in the drafting of legislation governing DNA testing and fingerprinting of suspects as well as the video recording of witnesses' statements for criminal trials, Assistant Commissioner of Police Les Green says an inadequacy of political will and consensus is severely hampering Jamaica's anti-crime fight.
Green, one of five British police officers brought to Jamaica in recent years to assist the Jamaican Constabulary, told a Manchester Chamber of Commerce forum at the Golf View Hotel in Mandeville on Thursday night that he had seen "very little consensus around delivering" laws to assist the police at the level of the Government and Opposition.
"When I first came here, five years ago, we were talking about a fundamental policing requirement of the modern era and that's DNA evidence; we are still talking about it. (It is) not even as far as I know before Parliament.
"We do not have the power to take DNA evidence and. I have cases in Manchester which we could solve if we could take DNA evidence from suspects; we cannot do that. And we are still talking about it and we haven't delivered it," an obviously frustrated Green told his audience in response to questions.
"We need a consensus around what are the (important) bits of legislation, what are our priorities if we are to deliver a safer Jamaica," said Green.
With more than 1,500 murders annually in a population of 2.6 million, Jamaica has one of the highest homicide rates in the world.
"These (proposed legislation) aren't political footballs to be kicked around," he said. "These are basic requirements for effective policing and for an effective society to have . I am not sure how many countries do not have the power to take DNA but there are very, very few." http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20091106T200000-0500_163290_OBS_CRIME_F
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