St James is pilot project for National Intelligence Bureau
WESTERN BUREAU — The police force’s much-touted National Intelligence Bureau will begin within the next two months in St James, which has been selected as the site for the pilot project.
Deputy superintendent of police for the parish, Derrick Knight, made the announcement at a press briefing, Tuesday evening.
“What this will do is to computerise almost everything that has to do with criminal investigation and criminals. Sooner or later, maybe by the next two years, all the parishes will be liked up,” Knight said.
“Basic arrests will be logged into this section so at a finger’s touch you can get information on almost any area of a criminal investigation. Once a person comes under the purvey of the police, whether it be for the simplest of offences, it will be documented and form a basis for island-wide information.”
The United Kingdom has provided technical assistance in the establishment of the unit which is expected to enhance the force’s information gathering capabilities. The collaboration with team members from Scotland Yard formed a part of a joint Government of Jamaica/UK initiative to target violent gangs.
According to Knight, there have been two crime analysts in place since last year and their role is to generate statistics which will allow the police to become more proactive in preventing crime.
Each parish, he added, will eventually have a Divisional Intelligence Unit that will provide a link to a central database, to which the military will also have access, and persons who are deported from other countries will also be logged into the system.
“If there is a series of robberies in Barnett Street, the analyst will be able to tell me how many persons are involved, what are their mode of transportation, (and) the time,” he said. “In some cases they can tell you when they are going to strike next. It has been assisting us tremendously.”
At Tuesday’s press briefing, Knight also launched an appeal for the public’s help in locating the parish’s ten most wanted men.
They are:
* Hannif “Bull” Forester, who is wanted in connection with the June 8 shooting of Corporal Roy Robinson;
* Cedric “Doggie” Murray, who is wanted for over six cases of murder, but has reportedly managed to elude the police for over two years because of heavy financial backing by drug dons;
* Hopeton “Sandokan” Dunn, who is on US “Most Wanted” list and also wanted for a double murder in St James;
* Andrew White, who is a gang leader for a band of robbers who were also involved in shootings;
* David “Scatchman” Edwards, who is wanted for murder, shooting and robberies;
* Kenneth Phillips, who is wanted for robbery with aggravation;
* Joseph Francis, who is wanted for arson;
* George Stephenson, who is wanted for the June, 2002 murder of his wife; and
* Oneil “Zeeks” Black and Brian ‘Yaws’ Shaw, who are both wanted for murder.
“I cannot confirm that they are in the parish at this time, but they are in Jamaica,” Knight said. “The ones that have committed the serious crimes… they operate in St James, Manchester, St Elizabeth, and sometimes they go over in Trelawny.”