Closed to Crime Initiative (CTCI)
PROJECT PROPOSAL
Presented to help Policemen and Policewomen keep our Parish Safe
April 2007
The Manchester Chamber of Commerce
The
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
METHOD - RESOURCE ACQUISITION FOR LOCAL JCF
FEELING SAFE?
EVIDENCE
WHAT CONCEPTS SHOULD OUR COMMUNITY EMBRACE RIGHT AWAY?
SOLICITED ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PARISH JCF
DIRECTED AT IMMEDIATE SAFETY RETURNS
The Institution of an adequate Motorized Patrol
Expansion of the District Intelligence Unit
Installation of Closed Circuit Cameras in the town
Improved facilities at the Investigative Unit
SCHEDULE OF AGGREGATE FIXED COSTS
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Manchester Chamber of Commerce with the assistance of other civic organizations in Mandeville has embarked on an augmentation process with the Regional JCF aimed at reducing crime in the Parish.
This document serves to outline the resources that have been identified by the Police and Judiciary as critical to the effort. The following are involved:
1. The Institution of an adequate Motorized Patrol
2. Expansion of the District Intelligence Unit
3. Installation of Closed Circuit Cameras in the town
4. Improved facilities at the Investigative Unit
There is no doubt that the cost of this project is meaningful. The details are present in the document. However, there is also no doubt, that:
1. The safety of Mandeville’s citizens across all social classes has been compromised and that all social classes have a right to safety.
2. For multiple reasons, it won’t work to simply assign the resolution of this problem to the Ministry of National Security.
3. We must accept that the police are the technical experts and listen to what they say, unless we want to become police officers ourselves.
4. We must challenge the police to maintain Law and Order in our Society, while helping them to do so.
5. Local initiatives in no way mitigate the responsibility of Government of Jamaica to protect its citizens, we must be ensuring that they perform.
6. We must accept that
7. Accept that different residents will help in different ways
The JCF regional command has indicated their intention to reduce the levels of serious crime in the parish by 20% this year. They must have access to basic resources. Fortunately, we have more than 1500 registered businesses and many willing individuals in our community.
Please recognize that your children, your families, yourselves and your colleagues are all substantial stakeholders in the economic success of
METHOD - RESOURCE ACQUISITION FOR LOCAL JCF
1. Prepare a document, based on interaction with Superintendent James, Deputy Superintendent Daley and Sergeant Knight aimed at highlighting the need for:
a.
b. The fundamental concepts they need to embrace
c. The resources required for immediate favorable returns to their safety
d. Funding to provide proper security
2. All members of the Chamber, business community, the Returned Citizen Association, NCU and all other stakeholders will be approached to provide funding.
3. Quantify likely community funding and translate into tangible resource acquisition; a separate account will be established to ensure accountability and will be available to the public for scrutiny.
4. Make direct representation to the Minister of National Security in respect of protecting the safety of
5. Oversee the resource acquisition process
6. Monitor and evaluate progress of the parish’s JCF and ISCF with it’s new resources in place
7. Make recommendations as necessary
FEELING SAFE?
It would be naive for anyone in Mandeville or its surroundings to feel safe from criminals given the following and other related truths:
· Mandeville is experiencing record real estate and commercial growth leading to substantial population growth, both resident and transient
· The town center is overcrowded and small enough so that individual targets can be easily identified
· Almost all Jamaicans, even criminals, have a cell-phone and access to transportation
· The island’s criminals would be insane not to quickly identify this as an excellent opportunity since:
o They are increasingly coming under extreme pressure in “hotspots” like
o There are >1500 registered businesses in our area, many of which are retail and lend themselves to extortion
o Mandeville is comparatively affluent, with substantial daily cash transactions
o The community is not overly experienced in protecting itself
o There is a large Returned Citizen population which likely provides easy returns on criminal effort
o Other new residents of ethnic origin are arriving in record numbers, are easily identifiable, and culturally inexperienced
o The geography and typical living arrangements are ideal for criminal activity
o
· The Mandeville Police is attempting to maintain all elements of its responsibility, serving 51 districts with a population of 191,000 residents, with reduced manpower, decrepit offices and two patrol cars
EVIDENCE
“Richard Lyn, 75 years old and his 71-year-old wife, Julia, were abducted from their Ingleside home in December of last year. The couple's bodies were later found in the Martin's Hill dump two miles outside of Mandeville.”
Previous to this there were multiple house “emptyings” by this same group of criminals. Unsolved due to a lack of JCF resources and perhaps to a lesser extent, the social status of previous victims.
The
WHAT CONCEPTS SHOULD OUR COMMUNITY EMBRACE RIGHT AWAY?
1. The safety of
2. For multiple reasons, it won’t work to simply assign the resolution of this problem to the Ministry of National Security
3. Accept that the police are the technical experts, and listen to what they say.
4. Challenge them to maintain Law and Order in our Society, while helping them to do so.
5. Local initiatives in no way mitigate the responsibility of Government of Jamaica to protect its citizens, and their economic activities. They must be pressured to perform.
6. Accept that
7. Accept that different residents will help in different ways
Clearly the underlying problem is a socio-economic one, which has to be dealt with starting now, but unlikely to have meaningful effect immediately.
This document focuses on action designed to have near immediate effect.
SOLICITED ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE PARISH JCF DIRECTED AT IMMEDIATE SAFETY RETURNS
1. The Institution of an adequate Motorized Patrol
2. Expansion of the District Intelligence Unit
3. Installation of Closed Circuit Cameras in the town
4. Improved facilities at the Investigative Unit
The Manchester JCF Command is not asking for handouts. They’re simply, on the Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s insistence, indicating what is necessary for them to increase effectiveness in the short term.
Given the limited resources of the Ministry of National Security and its clear track record of throwing available resources at “the hotspots”, the best our Parish can do is hope for limited augmentation of resources by the Government.
We must start to put these resources in place ourselves and then make it clear to our country’s leaders that we must be assured of reasonable efforts by them to provide a safe environment for our children, our businesses and ourselves.
The Institution of an adequate Motorized Patrol
This recommendation is based on quantitative and qualitative research done by the JCF, and is considered to be essential.
Benefits:
· High police visibility leading to reduced criminal activity
· Acceptable response times to service calls … SAVING LIVES
· Higher criminal apprehension rates
· Enhanced interpersonal relationships leading to increased intelligence
· Development of an area reputation that criminal behavior will not be tolerated
· Increased motivation inside the parish force
Currently, there are two patrol cars in working order for the entire patrol operation of the Mandeville Police Station. As was mentioned earlier, 51 districts, comprising approx. 191,000 residents.
The Parish JCF command has informed the Manchester Chamber of Commerce that a viable Motorized Patrol Unit for our area requires:
External Cost Checks Indicate:
FIXED:
Cars: 6 X $400,000 = $2.4M
Radios: N/A
Apprehension Equipment: N/A
VARIABLE:
Servicing of Cars: $8K-$15K per car per month
Petrol Allowance: $15K per week for 6 cars
The Motorized Patrol Division could be based in an available office at the Divisional Headquarters in Mandeville and it will be the responsibility of the JCF to provide appropriate Human Capital. It is important to note that Motorcycles, though acceptable for traffic control, are largely inappropriate for the patrol function.
Expansion of the District Intelligence Unit
International Policing Agencies depend heavily on Intelligence. Particularly when police forces are not blessed with substantial community cooperation.
Several areas have been identified by the local JCF as being particularly difficult to deal with:
1.
2. Greenvale
3. Heartease
4. Grey Ground
5. Cedar Grove
Supt. James provided the following: “The Divisional Intelligence Unit was established in
It started with a staff of two in a 12x10 office space. It is equipped with two (2) computers (which have been greatly overused).
Since then the staff has been increased to six (6). Due to the interviewing of prisoners and other aspects of our function the size of the office has become increasingly inadequate, thus the need for office space; which could be solved by the use of a container.
By our experience, there are a number of other resources that could greatly assist us to maximize our potential in the fight against criminal elements in this parish. They are as follows:
1. One 40ft container
2. One Web cam
3. Surveillance / close circuit cameras
4. An efficient motor vehicle
5. 1 digital camera (with strong zooming and night vision capabilities)
6. Listening devices
7. Computers
8. Binoculars
9. EFIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique) police identification composite software package.
10. One Color Copier”
External Cost Checks Indicate:
One 40ft container $120,000
One Web cam $4,000
Surveillance / close circuit cameras (dealt with in the next section)
An efficient motor vehicle $350,000
1 digital camera (with strong zooming and night vision capabilities) $28,000
Listening devices $10,000
Computer $50,000
Binoculars $10,000
EFIT (Electronic Facial Identification Technique) police identification composite software package: N/A
One Color Copier/Scanner: $35,000
Installation of Closed Circuit Cameras in the town
The Police High Command and indeed our Resident Magistrate are of the opinion that Closed Circuit Cameras strategically positioned throughout Mandeville would greatly assist the apprehension of criminals, which in turn will lead to reduced crime for fear of being caught by technology.
New technology assures that these cameras will be:
1. Durable and Tamper Proof
2. Monitorable from a control room inside the police station
3. Provide excellent data retention using hard drives in 2 independent locations
4. Provide effective crime control even if a policeman is not in the vicinity of the crime
The Preferred Areas for the Location of these Cameras are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Business owners in these vicinities will be consulted and asked to contribute to the capital and maintenance costs associated with this crime deterrent. Of course the JCF will need to provide a monitoring room and personnel for the operation of equipment and viewing of stored data. They will have to ensure that ample time to retrain is available if transfers are to be made. One set of data will be kept independent of the police.
External Cost Checks Indicate:
Cameras, Transmission and Monitoring Equipment: $6.5M
Maintenance: Nil during 1st year and negligible after that.
Training Included
2-year warranty, except act of God
Improved facilities at the Investigative Unit
Simply improving the quality of the physical space from which they operate is very likely to engender increased loyalty to the people of
Under strong solicitation, Supt. James has indicated the need for:
1. Appropriate Office Space – Perhaps even enhanced by a coat of paint
2. Furniture, comprising 2 desks and 4 chairs
3. One Fax Machine
4. One Computer
5. One printer
External Cost Checks Indicate:
Paint: $19,000 (20 gals)
Labor: $15,000
Furniture: $55,000
Fax Machine: $22,000
Computer: $50,000
Printer: $14,000
SCHEDULE OF AGGREGATE FIXED COSTS
1. The Institution of an adequate Motorized Patrol: $2.4M
2. Expansion of the District Intelligence Unit: $581,500
3. Installation of Closed Circuit Cameras in the town: $6.5M
4. Improved facilities at the Investigative Unit: $175,000
TOTAL PROJECT: $9.6565M
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
With full understanding by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and adjunct groups that the crime problems of our country have their genesis in socioeconomic challenges, and with full understanding that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)- Manchester Division is in need of resources to fulfill their obligations to the citizens of the Parish, the following is true:
- The Manchester Chamber of Commerce will make every effort to provide enhancements to the Manchester JCF as detailed in the Source Document provided by Superintendent James on February 13, 2007
- The Manchester JCF will make every effort to supply the following outcomes:
- Aggregate
A reduction of minimum 25% in
- Motorized Patrol
|
Commitment to provide 24 hr. service @ acceptable levels |
|
Commitment to respond to 99% violent crime reports within ____ minutes |
|
Commitment to respond to > 90% burglary reports within _____ minutes |
|
Commitment to respond to > 80% all other reports within _____ hrs. |
- Cameras
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Commitment to replace trained staff before transfer |
|
Commitment to provide space for monitoring equipment |
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Commitment to provide effective monitoring personnel |
Crime statistics and response data will be provided to the
Chamber of Commerce on a quarterly basis for discussion with
the Superintendent in Charge
e Community Programmes
The JCF will make itself available to the community and MCOC led meetings at least once per quarter in an effort to enhance community relationships and build mutual confidence and trust
- General
A general commitment to give due care as best as possible to resources provided by the MCOC led group vis a vis, vehicles, cameras, container, computer etc, with effective and lasting maintenance and cleaning programmes implemented.
THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, GENERATED IN GOOD FAITH, IS BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED BY THE SIGNATORIES BELOW AND IS SUBJECT TO FULL REVIEW ANNUALLY
Duly Executed
Witness:
Superintendent of Police/Manchester
Date:
President,