THE GOVERNMENT is to spend more than $70 million to equip the Jamaica Constabulary Force with an Advanced Fingerprint Information System (AFIS) machine, which will assist the lawmen in completing their investigations in the backlog of unsolved murders, shootings and burglaries.
"We are on track in getting a fingerprint machine which cost US$1.6 million," according to K.D. Knight, National Security and Justice Minister.
The Government will also be implementing one of the 83 recommendations made by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) team to have persons with legal experience who are not prosecutors work closely with investigators, including visiting crime scenes.
The Minister, who was answering questions last week about the legality of fingerprinting criminal suspects, based on the recommendations of the PERF team, said that was one of the first questions every policeman who arrives from the United States usually asks.
He pointed out that the changes would have to come through legislation.
"In order for us to fingerprint anybody, there has to be a court order," Mr. Knight said.
In its summary report, the PERF team said investigations were hampered by a lack of crime-scene management, incomplete evidence collection, poor post mortem examinations, inoperable forensics and ballistics equipment, and limitations that result from not having automated fingerprint identification and wanted-persons system.
The report further stated that investigators were legally prevented from conducting wiretaps and post-arrest processing (fingerprinting and photographing) of accused persons.
Assistant Commissioner Charles Scarlett said the police are yet to acquire the new machine which is being sold to the Government by a London-based company. Reports are that the police have had the opportunity of doing some tests and some demonstration on the machine which have proven very successful.
"The machine has so far detected suspects with criminal records who are involved in 12 murders and 140 cases of shootings, burglary and larceny. One of the murders is as far back as 1996," he said.
