News

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Anti-gang legislation to be discussed by the Cabinet next Monday will be effective in helping to control the crime situation in Jamaica, says National Security Minister Dwight Nelson.

Nelson was addressing the Police Federation's 67th annual joint central conference at Sunset Jamaica Grande in St Ann on Wednesday.

"It is before Cabinet now, a law called the anti-gang law that has teeth. They are going to discuss it next Monday because that is the law of laws, that is the law that is going to make the (anti-) crime bills look like Sunday school text," the minister declared.

Nelson said it was ironic that the Government was taking flak from human-rights groups because of the laws while, in Trinidad, where they have about 500 murders each year, their anti-crime law had even more draconian clauses.

He said Jamaica's similar legislation was fashioned from laws in other countries.

"We have looked at every anti-gang law in the world - South Africa, Australia, New Zealand - and it is those existing pieces of legislation that we have modelled this off," Nelson said.

DRAFT BILL

In addressing comments made by former Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields regarding implementation of laws dealing with DNA, Nelson said there was a draft bill now before the parliamentary council which crafts legislation.

He defended his ministry's record in the use of technology to fight crime, saying the police were being provided with technological assistance. One such measure that is due to come on stream shortly is the electronic monitoring of offenders.

"One of the things that we are dealing with now is to provide electronic monitoring of offenders because that is the way we have to go, so that the police can monitor offenders. The objective here is to electronically isolate and find the whereabouts of persons, for example (those) on bail, tracking offenders such as sex offenders, looking at people like early parolees," Nelson explained.

"We have completed a pilot project; we have had discussions with the JDF (Jamaica Defence Force), JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force), the Ministry of Justice, the Bar Association, correctional officers and the Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights, and we are hoping now to begin to roll out the technology.

"People are going to have to wear ankle bracelets, some of these criminals, so that the police can monitor their whereabouts," the minister said.

The six anti-crime bills recently passed in Parliament:

(1) An Act to Amend the Bail Act that would, in specified cases, place the onus on defendants to satisfy the court that bail should be granted;

(2) An Act to Make Interim provision in relation to the grant of bail in specified circumstances;

(3) An Act to Make interim provision extending the powers of arrest and detention under Section 50B 50F of the Constabulary Act;

(4) An Act to Amend the Firearms Act to provide for a minimum sentence of 15 years for a person convicted before the Circuit Court of serious gun or drug-related matters;

(5) An Act to Amend the Offences Against the Person Act, to provide for a minimum custodial sentence of 15 years for a person convicted before the Circuit Court of any of the following offences: Shooting with intent to do grievous bodily harm or with intent to resist or prevent the lawful apprehension or detainer of any person; wounding with intent, with use of a firearm;

(6) An Act to Amend the Parole Act to provide that persons who have been sentenced to imprisonment for life, or for a period of 15 years or more, for specified firearms offences, shall not be eligible for parole until after having served a period of not less than 10 years of the sentence.