By Lolita Long, Editor 
Security representatives in New York City greet National Security Minister Dr. Peter Phillips at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel in New York at a security forum Thursday night, on the effects of crime in Jamaica. From left are Detective Leroy Hutchinson, representing the 67th precinct in Brooklyn; Clarence Asphall president of the Jamaica Ex-Police Association, New York; Inspector Robert Boyce also of the 67th precinct, Dr. Phillips and Deputy Commissioner of Police in Jamaica, Lucius Thomas. The forum was organised by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica in association with the Jamaica National Building Society and The Gleaner Company. - Contributed
NEW YORK:
IN AN impassioned plea on Thursday, National Security Minister, Dr. Peter Phillips urged members of the overseas communities, especially those residing in the United States, to help stop the violent crimes which are plaguing Jamaica.
"The extent of crime is threatening our economic activity. We have to take the profits out of crime, and prove to be true the phrase 'crime does not pay," Dr. Phillips told a packed room at the Brooklyn Marriott Hotel in New York City.
He said the transshipment trade that goes through Jamaica is worth US$3 billion. "If you take that as a percentage of the total GDP for 2001, the value of that illegal drug trade represents 40 per cent of our GDP. We have to seize the properties which are the results of profits of ill-gotten gains," Phillips stated.
SENSITIVE ISSUE
The Minister was one of several presenters at a forum titled 'The Effects of Crime on Jamaica'. The sensitive issue of the extent of violent crime in Jamaica has been of troubling concern to the thousands of Jamaicans living in the U.S. Despite the inclement weather many turned out to listen to the problems of the drug trade, its worsening effect on the economy and possible solutions at beating the scourge.
"We have to confront the problem which has worsened over the decades," Dr. Phillips said. He asked the Jamaicans to get more involved to call the police with any information, pay close attention to children, and their travel plans especially the teenagers and to look for behaviour changes.
Said Phillips: "Speak out about the drug trade, and be an example, be drug free." The Minister underscored the points made earlier by Deputy Commissioner of Police Lucius Thomas and Senior Superintendent in charge of narcotics, Carl Williams. While Thomas focused on the criminal side of the trade, and pointed out startling revelations, it was the narcotics information that generated sighs of 'of my God' from concerned Jamaicans.
Initiatives being conducted by the Government are now under way. Partnerships have been formed with those in the U.S., Canada, and England. To date, the 'best partnership' has been between Jamaica and the United Kingdom, involving several million pounds and the use of the Ion Scan and Emit machines to detect even the smallest quantity of drugs at the island's two international airports.
The two-day exercise ended yesterday at the Hilton Hotel, Manhattan.
