The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) will soon be able to conduct more speedy criminal investigations with the instalment of the new Automated Palm and Fingerprint Identification System (APFIS).

According to the Minister of National Security, Dr. Peter Phillips, the US$3.6 million technology should be up and running by month-end and should see the JCF's crime-fighting effort being greatly enhanced.

"We have problems of witnesses being targeted but what we want to do is use more and more technologies to ensure that crime does not pay and persons who get involved in criminality will pay the price as required by law," said the minister yesterday. He was speaking while on a tour of the new system at the police Computer Centre, downtown Kingston.

The technology will replace the witness system and will assist the police to identify convicted criminals with a police record within seconds.

Commissioner of Police, Lucius Thomas, thanked the Government for making the technology available to the police force.

"If we are going to win the battle against crime in any way, we must go the route of technology. The plank of the JCF's policy (is) modernisation, reform, community policing and the use of technology," Thomas said.

The commissioner said the long waiting period for processing suspected criminals which sometimes takes days, would be alleviated with the APFIS technology as the processing time would take only minutes.

"The pressure we now come under from human rights groups and other people for holding people in custody will definitely be out the window when the system is up and running in October," he said.

Three more sites

The APFIS is already installed at the downtown Kingston site. The other three sites that will come on stream by the end of the month are Area One (Montego Bay, St. James), Area Three (May Pen, Clarendon), and Area Two (St. Mary).

The system, which is set up by international technology giant SAGEM, renown for its fingerprint technology, will provide automatic searches within 35 seconds. The system will also allow the police to take fingerprints on the streets and improve the turnaround time for persons applying for police records.

The accompanying Fingerprints Act provides police with increased powers to fingerprint and photograph suspects in specific criminal matters without a court order.