Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Ministry of Tourism on Sunday handed over a $14 million, state-of-the-art mobile surveillance unit to the National Security Ministry to fight harassment and crime on the popular Hip Strip in Montego Bay.

The unit is capable of viewing activities as far as four miles away.

The suggestion to bring the unit to Montego Bay first came from former superintendent in charge of St. James, Warren Blake.

It is equipped with digital closed-circuit television cameras that can record activity and conduct surveillance for the purposes of observing persons, places, objects, or vehicles to obtain information, evidence, identification and proof of association and activities.

Purchased by the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the unit, which will be maintained by Sandals Resorts International, is to be manned by police personnel who were trained at the Florida International Surveillance Technology Institute.

Nagging perception

"Jamaica's only obstacle in achieving the critical mass of 3.5 million visitors over the next few years is the nagging perception that the country is an unsafe destination," Bartlett said before handing over the keys to Security Minister Derrick Smith.

Accepting the vehicle on behalf of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Mr. Smith, the Minister of National Security, lauded the gesture, admitting that there has to be a paradigm shift in crime fighting.

"This will hopefully bring an end to the level of harassment on the Hip Strip," he noted.