Lynford Simpson, Staff Reporter
A FINANCIAL Crimes Division, headed by a senior police officer, is to be established to fight "white collar" crime, says National Security and Justice Minister K.D. Knight.
The Minister, who was addressing delegates at yesterday's session of the 62nd annual conference of the People's National Party (PNP), said the division will have a staff complement of 35, including six prosecutorial staff.
In a wide-ranging address, in which he outlined the Government's plan to fight crime, Mr. Knight also said the Larceny Act of 1916 is to be amended to make it more relevant. He said some of the economic crimes being committed were a "new phenomena" and that police, in some instances, lacked the requisite skills to deal with it.
He reiterated the Government's "zero-tolerance" approach to crime fighting and encouraged Jamaicans to support the establishment of what he called a Voluntary Special Constables unit to assist the police with intelligence-gathering. He dismissed the notion that the civilian volunteers will amount to an armed militia, and said partisan politics must be put aside in the crime-fighting effort.
Like Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who spoke before him, Mr. Knight lashed the United Kingdom Privy Council for its decision to overturn the death penalty of six convicted killers.
"I think it was wrong...respected as they are that their Lordship should sit in room in Whitehall and not understand...and say 'man nuffi hang - dem mad'."
He also hit out at the British Government for pressuring former colonies to pass legislation making homosexuality legal among consenting adults.
Mr. Knight reiterated the Government's position on the Caribbean Court of Justice and said his support for the court was not merely because of hanging but because there were regional judges competent enough to take charge of the region's affairs.
