WALKER

Director of Elections Danville Walker is backing a potentially controversial proposal to create legislation that would allow the police to use fingerprint data, collected on persons who have been enumerated, to assist in criminal investigations.

Mr. Walker argued yesterday that, given the current crime wave, the suggestion to introduce this piece of legislation was timely.

"Everybody should be willing to enthusiastically take whatever steps to assist the police in the fight against crime and enhance their investigative abilities," he said yesterday while speaking with The Gleaner/Power 106 News.

Rejected by chuck

The proposal put forward by Jean Anderson, a former president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Justice of the Peace, and Mr. Walker's support were immediately rejected yesterday by Delroy Chuck, the Opposition Spokesman on Justice, who argued that a pledge had been made against using voters' data for any such purpose.

However, despite being pressed by The Gleaner/Power 106 News yesterday, Justice Minister A.J. Nicholson would not confirm whether the Government was reconsidering its commitment to keep voters' fingerprint records free from use in criminal investigations.

Senator Nicholson, who is also the Attorney-General, said it was "too early to comment" on the recommendation.

Mrs. Anderson told The Gleaner yesterday that the use of voters' fingerprints would significantly assist in apprehending the perpetrators of crimes.

However, Mr. Chuck said: "A commitment was given to the people of Jamaica that their fingerprints would only be used for voter registration and even though it means well to open it up for criminal investigations, I certainly will oppose it because we must stick to our commitment."

He said the police and the Electoral Office of Jamaica have the opportunity now to "enumerate, if necessary, everyone for a national registration system."

Mrs. Anderson said she was aware that her proposal would be criticised, but contended that it was a decision the country's political directorate must prioritise.

"I would say we could make as much noise as we want (but), it is so essential as a crime-fighting tool to put away those who are involved in crime," she said.

Her comments follow concerns by the police that the lack of a national fingerprint database has impacted their probe into the disappearance of Mandeville couple 75-year-old Richard Lyn and his 71-year-old wife Julia.

Earlier this year the police officially commissioned a national criminal database, which allows for speedy retrieval of information on persons with a criminal record. However, there is no system in place to match the fingerprints of criminal suspects without a previous record.