Fighting crime with rhymes

BY SIMONE MORGAN Observer staff reporter

Thursday, January 22, 2015    

Police constable Ricardo McCalpin has conceptualised a new crime-fighting plan, and it involves music. Called Fighting Crimes With Rhymes, it started just over one year ago and sees the policeman visiting several high schools across Jamaica to singjay and offer words of advice to students.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, McCalpin, who goes by the stage name Wowski, said he has performed at Paul Bogle, Port Antonio, Charlie Smith and Ewarton high schools.

“The target area is really schools that are in the Corporate Area and St Catherine, because those are the divisions with the highest crime rates. The aim is to use music as a motivational tool,” said McCalpin. “Music has a great impact on the lives and thoughts of our youth. For example, when a song or a selector instructs the listener to take out his/her gun and ‘buss’ a shot in the air, even me as a police officer is tempted to pop off and buss a shot, too. I never do that though but it just goes to show the impact that music has,” he added. “If the lyrics are cleaner and more positive the youths will follow.”

Among the songs McCalpin performs for students are the originals, Pearl Black and a pre-released track called Real Friends.

“Pearl Black explores the mpact of crime and violence on the nation, the victim and the person who commits the act, while Real Friends promotes loyalty and integrity,” he said.

Pearl Black was produced by Kamal Briscoe and released last year.

Real Friends, a production of Vision House, is slated for release this week.

McCalpin and some of his colleagues in the Jamaica Constabulary Force plan to expand Fighting Crimes With Rhymes with a song completion.

It is expected to be launched during the first quarter of this year and is open to students only. Each contestant will be required to create an original song about a crime-related issue and present solutions.

McCalpin, 30, has been a member of the JCF for over four years.

Stationed at the Community Safety and Security Branch on, Oxford Road, he holds a Masters Degree in Physical Education from the University of Technology.

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Fighting crime with rhymes

Should spy-planes fight US crime?

13 October 2014 Last updated at 00:41 By Ed Ram BBC News WATCH: How US surveillance planes are able to spot murders on the streets

A US company has developed a way to monitor entire neighbourhoods, using a technology originally developed for the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But while police forces are excited by the prospect of getting access to the tech, privacy campaigners see it as a threat to citizens’ constitutional rights.

Bang. A shot is fired and someone has been murdered. A victim is found, the police alerted, but the perpetrator has vanished – without being seen.

Such killings happen almost every day in the US – and when no witnesses come forward, it can be hard and very costly to convict the perpetrators.

Now, one company says it has an answer.

By flying a special manned plane over a city, Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) says it is able to view and record everything that is happening on the ground across a 25-mile (40km) area.

Rigged with 12 high-resolution cameras, a spliced together picture of a sort of “live Google Earth” map is beamed down from the aircraft to analysts.

The PSS named the high-resolution camera system mounted on the plane Hawkeye II A 600Mbps down link transmits images from the plane to the PSS command centre

“The resolution is not high enough to show who someone is, people appear as merely one grey pixel on a screen,” Ross McNutt, a retired United States Air Force veteran and PSS president, told BBC Click.

But that one pixel is enough for the person’s movements to be accurately tracked for the time the plane is in the air – up to six hours.

When PSS flew its planes over Compton, California, in early 2012 over nine days, it recorded murders, robberies and many other crimes.

By matching the time frames of the PSS recordings with on-the-ground testimony, analysts and police were able to see the moment when the crime was committed.

They were then able to track where the suspect was before and after the moment of crime, says Mr McNutt.

“It’s like opening up a murder mystery in the middle.

“We have actually followed people to multiple murders before,” he says.

During testing in areas including Dayton, Ohio, Compton, and Mexico, PSS has witnessed 34 killings.

“Threat to democracy”

But PSS doesn’t just see the murders and the criminals – its cameras look down onto the streets and backyards where everyday activities happen as well.

Planes fly thousands of feet above towns, capturing things that escape lenses on the ground

The firm’s insistence that the close-ups it obtains are low resolution are not enough to placate opponents who see its tech as a threat to Americans’ liberties.

“Not only does the system encroach on people’s privacy, tracking the movements of whole communities poses a threat to democracy,” says Jennifer Lynch, senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

When the police tested the system in Compton in 2012, the public was not informed.

“It is things like this, and the secret monitoring of innocent Muslim students by NYPD in early 2012, that builds mistrust in the police,” adds Ms Lynch.

But PSS insists it adheres to a “very strong privacy policy” that imposes tight controls on its analysts.

“We put in place policies and technology that allows us to track where all our analysts have looked,” Mr McNutt said.

“We only track people that are involved in crimes, and I can see where my analysts have looked by recording where they have asked [to review] images.”

Analysts painstakingly examine the images they receive and log suspects’ movements

Racial profiling and targeting minorities is already a worry in places such as Compton where there is a large African-American population – and surveillance increases tensions.

Continue reading the main story

Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the CIA, left the US in late May after leaking to the media details of alleged extensive internet and phone surveillance by American intelligence. Mr Snowden, who has been granted temporary asylum in Russia, faces espionage charges over his actions.

“How do we know what the police would actually be using the surveillance equipment for?” asks Mrs Lynch.

And if people feel like they are being constantly watched, they are less likely to do things that they might not want others to see or hear, she argues.

And that doesn’t mean breaking the law.

Going to a gay bar, talking about politics, visiting religious buildings, having more than one relationship – all of these things are legal, but, more often than not, very private.

“Police surveillance concerns could compromise free speech,” Ms Lynch says.

“In this way then, people’s democratic and constitutional right to act freely within US law is at threat.”

Big-brother state New York City police secretly collected information on Muslim communities in nearby Newark, New Jersey, in 2012

But Mr McNutt says PSS endeavours to address these concerns.

“We have actually gone to the American Civil Liberties Union and said, ‘Look, we want your input here,"” he says.

“They don’t like what we are doing, [but] they appreciate the fact that we are reaching out and asking for their input.”

PSS might be a powerful weapon in fighting crime, but no US police force is currently using its technology on a regular basis.

While tests have been carried out in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Ohio, in addition to Compton and the Mexican city of Juarez, civil liberties concerns have discouraged officials from signing contracts.

It seems, for now at least, that the rollout of PSS and safer streets it promises are being held in check by the importance Americans place on freedom and privacy.

Watch more clips on the Click website. If you are in the UK, you can watch the whole programme on BBC iPlayer.

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Should spy-planes fight US crime?

Jamaicans need to change misconception about crime solution—security minister

Monday, September 29, 2014 | 1:26 PM    

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — National Security Minister Peter Bunting has said that Jamaicans need to change their thinking that the solution to crime and violence rests with law enforcement.

“Law enforcement has an important role to play, but if we think it is only law enforcement that is going to fix our crime problem, then we are seriously mistaken. The truth of the matter is…when you look at the root causes of crime, it starts with the family,” the minister said.

Bunting emphasised that there needs to be a deepened understanding among Jamaicans of the causes of crime and violence affecting the island.

Addressing the launch of a Unite for Change forum and First Responders and Violence Interrupters training at the Ocho Rios High School in St Ann, on September 28, the Minister said the understanding is needed in order to identify and put in place strategies aimed at fighting the scourge.

He said it is hoped that through the Unite for Change programme, the quest for a better understanding of the issues surrounding crime and violence will be achieved and a number of misconceptions will be removed from the thinking of Jamaicans.

“A part of the Unite for Change initiative is really working to deepen our understanding of the causes of violence, because if you don’t understand what is causing it…you will end up just treating the symptoms and not curing the disease,” the Minister argued.

Meanwhile, Bunting said one of the strategies being employed by his Ministry in curbing crime and violence is the use of “softer policing”, where members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) are dressed in a more civilian-friendly manner, instead of looking as if they are on a mission to confront.

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Jamaicans need to change misconception about crime solution—security minister

Trinidad government says armoured vehicle purchase was necessary to fight crime

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Thursday September 11, 2014, CMC – The Trinidad and Tobago government has sought to defend the decision to purchase a number of specially outfitted armoured vehicles, saying that it was necessary in the ongoing fight against crime on the island.

A statement from the Ministry of National Security said the vehicles would not be operated in an offensive mode but rather to protect the population including law enforcement officials.

It quoted National Security Minister Gary Griffith as saying that “the only persons who should see these assets as intimidating are those operating on the wrong side of the law.

“The acquisition of these vehicles is all part of the unified effort of delivery on the mandate of the Government to restore Trinidad and Tobago to a safer and more secured nation for all its citizens,” the release stated.

The statement said that armoured vehicles were not new to Trinidad and Tobago even as it acknowledged that the Defence Force has not been able to acquire these types of vehicles in over 20 years, and were instead utilising normal civilian vehicles to perform the duties expected of the Defence Force.

“(Minister) Griffith stated that modern-day law enforcement is evolving at a rapid rate to treat with threats which may not have existed decades ago. Due to the transnational nature of crime, there is now more than ever a need to restructure and realign T&T’s National Security apparatus as the present capacity of our Defence Force and law enforcement agencies does not cater for these new threats.”

The statement noted that while there are currently no intelligence reports of any existing disturbances or pending threats to this country, the authorities are putting the appropriate precautionary measures in place to deal with any future eventuality.

“It is better for this country to be prepared for any probability now rather than sit and wait for innocent lives to be lost…this country must be committed, we must be prepared and we will be prepared”.

“For far too long previous ministers of National Security have been accused of not doing enough and he is willing to run the risk of being accused of doing too much to secure our people’s right to life and property,” the statement quoted Griffith as saying.

The release stated that the vehicles represent a new generation of law enforcement practice as they can be configured in various models to support the police, the military and counter-terrorism units in whatever terrain they need to operate.

The vehicles, the release said, were even being used in neighbouring Caribbean nations such as Guyana and Jamaica.

“They will offer maximum protection against various large calibres of weapons for the soldiers and officers of the Police Service who will be operating them in high-risk areas. These vehicles are built to withstand ballistic attack and provide advanced protection against anti-personnel mines and grenade blasts.

“It combines the speed, manoeuvrability and weapons platform options required for roles ranging from command and control and military tactical operations to SWAT, riot control, counter terrorism and counter surveillance.

“The purchase of these and other vehicles and equipment to be used by our law enforcement agencies, should act as a deterrent and would be sending a strong message to criminals to be aware that picking a fight with law enforcement and security personnel is not a fight that they would want to undertake,” the release added.

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Trinidad government says armoured vehicle purchase was necessary to fight crime

St Lucia crime surge linked to gang activity – commissioner

St Lucia police suggest that the recent spate of crime over the past two weeks is a result of the activities of gangs. (File)

CASTRIES, St.Lucia, Friday July 18, 2014, CMC – Police Commissioner Vernon Francois says intelligence obtained by St Lucia police suggests that the recent spate of violence and shootings in the capital over the past two weeks is a result of the activities of criminal gangs.

Addressing a news conference on Thursday, Francois said his men will spare no effort in going after the criminals and ensuring that they are brought to justice.

Police have been investigating five murders and several other shootings within city limits over the past weeks, and this week announced that a number arrests had been made.

Francois told journalists that the police force has developed new strategies to deal with the issue, adding that instead of conducting regular patrols, intelligence is being used to target specific communities.

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He said troubled sections of the capital such as Chaussee Road, Wilton Yard, Leslie Land and Morne Du Don are major target areas.

He recalled that at the beginning of the year, police had to deal with a similar situation in Morne Du Don.

“The force was able to tackle that through intelligence-led policing, putting together our targeted packages,” he said.

According to him, 15 arrests were made during those operations, adding that the same strategies will be used to rid communities of the individuals responsible for the recent shootings.

“We will not back down…we have achieved some degree of success,” he added.

Last week, the police recovered three firearms along with matching ammunition while four persons were arrested and charged for the murder of 35-year-old Yulanda Fredrick.

In relation to the shooting of a 19-year-old male in Conway, two people have been arrested.

François said, “I want to warn the criminals in those areas that we are out to get them and there is not going to be any back down on our part. We are going to do everything it takes, within the laws of St. Lucia to deal with the criminal elements in our midst.”

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St Lucia crime surge linked to gang activity – commissioner

New St Vincent coast guard base expected to end haven for crime

Canouan coast guard sub-base (Credit: iwnsvg.com)

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Friday June 27, 2014, CMC – The St Vincent and the Grenadines government has commissioned a coast guard sub base on the southern Grenadine island of Canouan, which Prime Minister Dr Rlaph Gonsalves said will help to protect the “soft underbelly” of this multi-island nation.

Commissioner of Police Michael Charles said the new base will also help to make less porous an area of the country that is a haven for criminals from South America, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

The two million US dollar facility was constructed under the United States government’s Secure Seas Programme with the government contributing EC$400,000 (one EC dollar=US$0.37 cents).

The base, which was completed last October and became operational in November, comprises a two-storey, operational centre that has 4,500 square feet of floor space and can house 24 Coast Guard personnel; a 50 feet long pier that allows for six feet of water depth at low tide; fuel and water storage and dispensations systems; and a communications tower.

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Gonsalves, who is also National Security Minister, said the sub base is an extension of the central coast guard base at Calliaqua in St Vincent, and will perform all the operations conducted at the main base.

Twelve coast guard personnel and coast guard vessel SVG 09, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) vessel donated by the U.S. government, are stationed at the sub base.

“The Southern Grenadines is the soft under belly security wise,” Gonsalves told the ceremony and expressed appreciation for US President Barack Obama’s Safe Seas Programme.

The coast guard has also received two RHIBS, a pick-up truck, and spare parts under the programme and Gonsalves said the sub base is important to tourism investment on the island.

“It is magnificent because the people who are coming with the marina and the people who are here would know you are going to be relatively safe from bandits who want to use the sea to come in and disturb our safety and our security,” he said.
He said the facility would be responsible for Coast Guard operations in the Southern Grenadines and support the main base operation whenever required.

It has 24-hour very high frequency and digital selective call in watch on channels 16 and 17 respectively and can be contacted easily by VHF channel 16, Gonsalves said.

“This Coast Guard base fits strategically into our coastal surveillance plan. This operation is linked to the coastal radar system that was financed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago with three sites on the mainland,” he said of the system that allows maritime officials to track traffic in the nation’s waters.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Larry Palmer said that St Vincent and the Grenadines and the United States are part of a shared security partnership to address the transnational security challenge in the hemisphere.

“This partnership is underscored by the cooperative working relations between the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and especially its coast guard and the United States’ military and law enforcement agencies.

“You have all been strong partners and have taken an aggressive stance to keep this nation safe from narcotics trafficking and other threats to the maritime borders of our shared region,” Palmer said.

“The base’s key location between St Vincent and Grenada will strengthen your coast guard’s maritime law enforcement and search and rescue capabilities as well in this remote area…. This coast guard base is only part of the long-term United States commitment to support your on-going capacity building efforts to increase the country’s national security,” Palmer further said at the ceremony.

The Police Commissioner said that the island now has another point from which it can bring the fight to the criminals and protect citizens and visitors.

“For many years, the Grenadine islands have been a security challenge to law enforcement agencies. Being a multi-island state, there are many bays, beaches and inlets to the policed and patrolled. And because of our limited resources to do such, our borders can be considered as porous.

“As a result of these prevailing circumstances, these islands have been a haven for criminals from South America, Trinidad, Grenada.”

Charles said criminals have capitalised on the nation’s limited capabilities to man its borders, to traffic illegal drugs, smuggle guns and launder money.

“But today, as we commission this Coast Guard base, I want to assure the general public and our visitors alike that we will use this facility to optimal potential and to bring to justice those persons who contravene the maritime and other laws of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the police chief said.

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New St Vincent coast guard base expected to end haven for crime

New St Vincent coast guard base expected to end haven for crime

Canouan coast guard sub-base (Credit: iwnsvg.com)

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Friday June 27, 2014, CMC – The St Vincent and the Grenadines government has commissioned a coast guard sub base on the southern Grenadine island of Canouan, which Prime Minister Dr Rlaph Gonsalves said will help to protect the “soft underbelly” of this multi-island nation.

Commissioner of Police Michael Charles said the new base will also help to make less porous an area of the country that is a haven for criminals from South America, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada.

The two million US dollar facility was constructed under the United States government’s Secure Seas Programme with the government contributing EC$400,000 (one EC dollar=US$0.37 cents).

The base, which was completed last October and became operational in November, comprises a two-storey, operational centre that has 4,500 square feet of floor space and can house 24 Coast Guard personnel; a 50 feet long pier that allows for six feet of water depth at low tide; fuel and water storage and dispensations systems; and a communications tower.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

Gonsalves, who is also National Security Minister, said the sub base is an extension of the central coast guard base at Calliaqua in St Vincent, and will perform all the operations conducted at the main base.

Twelve coast guard personnel and coast guard vessel SVG 09, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) vessel donated by the U.S. government, are stationed at the sub base.

“The Southern Grenadines is the soft under belly security wise,” Gonsalves told the ceremony and expressed appreciation for US President Barack Obama’s Safe Seas Programme.

The coast guard has also received two RHIBS, a pick-up truck, and spare parts under the programme and Gonsalves said the sub base is important to tourism investment on the island.

“It is magnificent because the people who are coming with the marina and the people who are here would know you are going to be relatively safe from bandits who want to use the sea to come in and disturb our safety and our security,” he said.
He said the facility would be responsible for Coast Guard operations in the Southern Grenadines and support the main base operation whenever required.

It has 24-hour very high frequency and digital selective call in watch on channels 16 and 17 respectively and can be contacted easily by VHF channel 16, Gonsalves said.

“This Coast Guard base fits strategically into our coastal surveillance plan. This operation is linked to the coastal radar system that was financed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago with three sites on the mainland,” he said of the system that allows maritime officials to track traffic in the nation’s waters.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Larry Palmer said that St Vincent and the Grenadines and the United States are part of a shared security partnership to address the transnational security challenge in the hemisphere.

“This partnership is underscored by the cooperative working relations between the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force and especially its coast guard and the United States’ military and law enforcement agencies.

“You have all been strong partners and have taken an aggressive stance to keep this nation safe from narcotics trafficking and other threats to the maritime borders of our shared region,” Palmer said.

“The base’s key location between St Vincent and Grenada will strengthen your coast guard’s maritime law enforcement and search and rescue capabilities as well in this remote area…. This coast guard base is only part of the long-term United States commitment to support your on-going capacity building efforts to increase the country’s national security,” Palmer further said at the ceremony.

The Police Commissioner said that the island now has another point from which it can bring the fight to the criminals and protect citizens and visitors.

“For many years, the Grenadine islands have been a security challenge to law enforcement agencies. Being a multi-island state, there are many bays, beaches and inlets to the policed and patrolled. And because of our limited resources to do such, our borders can be considered as porous.

“As a result of these prevailing circumstances, these islands have been a haven for criminals from South America, Trinidad, Grenada.”

Charles said criminals have capitalised on the nation’s limited capabilities to man its borders, to traffic illegal drugs, smuggle guns and launder money.

“But today, as we commission this Coast Guard base, I want to assure the general public and our visitors alike that we will use this facility to optimal potential and to bring to justice those persons who contravene the maritime and other laws of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the police chief said.

View the original article here

New St Vincent coast guard base expected to end haven for crime

Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Haiti anti-riot soldier (Credit: Caribbean360/Bigstock)

OTTAWA, Canada, Saturday June 28, 2014, CMC – The Canadian and United States governments have warned their nationals about traveling to Haiti in light of what they view as an increase in crime in some parts of the earthquake-ravaged, French-speaking Caribbean country.

“There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Haiti. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to high crime rates in various parts of the country and ongoing political tensions,” said Canada in a statement, warning against non-essential travel to the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area, “as the security situation is particularly unstable and dangerous.

“The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad. The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provides credible and timely information in its Travel Advice.

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“In the event of a crisis situation that requires evacuation, the Government of Canada’s policy is to provide safe transportation to the closest safe location. The Government of Canada will assist you in leaving a country or a region as a last resort, when all means of commercial or personal transportation have been exhausted,” the government said in the statement.

It said that the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area “continue to be dangerous due to criminal activity,” adding that local authorities lack the “capacity to ensure order.

“Personal safety and a police presence are not guaranteed. The police are unable to respond in a timely manner to calls for assistance in these areas, and it is strongly advised to avoid going out after nightfall,” it said.

The Canadian government also said that the security situation is “hazardous and very unpredictable.

“Remain extremely vigilant wherever you are in the country. Criminal activity is especially evident in large centres such as downtown Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs continue to operate,” it said.

“There has recently been an increase in armed robberies targeting travellers, particularly foreigners of Haitian origin, arriving on international flights at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince,” it said, noting that in most cases the victims’ vehicles are followed by criminals on motorcycles.

“Criminal gangs have committed robberies by erecting roadblocks. If you have to travel through this area, remain extremely vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities,” Canada said, noting that murder, kidnapping, armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings have been known to occur even in daylight hours.

The Canadian government said the general Haitian population, regardless of social class, ?can be considered at risk of being kidnapped.

In issuing a similar travel advisory, the consular section of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince said it has “noted a recent increase in the number of travelers who have been victims of robbery shortly after departing Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

“In most cases, victims report that they were followed by armed individuals on motorcycles shortly after leaving the airport and robbed of cash and other portable valuables,” the statement said, urging Americans to ensure that they are picked up at the airport by their host.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said 73 people have been murdered so far this month, compared to 54 in May, 66 in April, and 45 in March.

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Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

Haiti anti-riot soldier (Credit: Caribbean360/Bigstock)

OTTAWA, Canada, Saturday June 28, 2014, CMC – The Canadian and United States governments have warned their nationals about traveling to Haiti in light of what they view as an increase in crime in some parts of the earthquake-ravaged, French-speaking Caribbean country.

“There is no nationwide advisory in effect for Haiti. However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to high crime rates in various parts of the country and ongoing political tensions,” said Canada in a statement, warning against non-essential travel to the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area, “as the security situation is particularly unstable and dangerous.

“The decision to travel is your responsibility. You are also responsible for your personal safety abroad. The Government of Canada takes the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provides credible and timely information in its Travel Advice.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

“In the event of a crisis situation that requires evacuation, the Government of Canada’s policy is to provide safe transportation to the closest safe location. The Government of Canada will assist you in leaving a country or a region as a last resort, when all means of commercial or personal transportation have been exhausted,” the government said in the statement.

It said that the neighbourhoods of Martissant, Carrefour, Bel Air and Cité Soleil, in the Port-au-Prince area “continue to be dangerous due to criminal activity,” adding that local authorities lack the “capacity to ensure order.

“Personal safety and a police presence are not guaranteed. The police are unable to respond in a timely manner to calls for assistance in these areas, and it is strongly advised to avoid going out after nightfall,” it said.

The Canadian government also said that the security situation is “hazardous and very unpredictable.

“Remain extremely vigilant wherever you are in the country. Criminal activity is especially evident in large centres such as downtown Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs continue to operate,” it said.

“There has recently been an increase in armed robberies targeting travellers, particularly foreigners of Haitian origin, arriving on international flights at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince,” it said, noting that in most cases the victims’ vehicles are followed by criminals on motorcycles.

“Criminal gangs have committed robberies by erecting roadblocks. If you have to travel through this area, remain extremely vigilant and follow the advice of local authorities,” Canada said, noting that murder, kidnapping, armed robberies, burglaries and carjackings have been known to occur even in daylight hours.

The Canadian government said the general Haitian population, regardless of social class, ?can be considered at risk of being kidnapped.

In issuing a similar travel advisory, the consular section of the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince said it has “noted a recent increase in the number of travelers who have been victims of robbery shortly after departing Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

“In most cases, victims report that they were followed by armed individuals on motorcycles shortly after leaving the airport and robbed of cash and other portable valuables,” the statement said, urging Americans to ensure that they are picked up at the airport by their host.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) said 73 people have been murdered so far this month, compared to 54 in May, 66 in April, and 45 in March.

View the original article here

Canada, US issue Haiti travel advisory following upsurge in crime

More Pressure on USVI crime

Entertainment

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Senior Observer WriterMonday, September 09, 2013

REGGAE artistes from the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) appealed for peace in their country on August 31 with a concert in the territory of St Thomas.The show was organised by singer Pressure Busspipe, known in Jamaica for the 2008 hit song, Love and Affection.A native of St Thomas, Pressure Busspipe told the Sunday Observer that there was a strong turnout of 3,000 fans.He said it is evidence citizens in the four territories are weary of the crime wave that has gripped the USVI in the past two years.“It shows people are ready to come together and bring peace to the islands. It was an uplifting event,” he said.Pressure Busspipe is a victim of the USVI crime wave. In February, 2012, he was one of three persons shot in Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas’ chief town.His friend Shamal Smith, a show promoter, died from injuries sustained in the incident.Violence in the USVI influenced authorities there to issue safety advisories to tourists.

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More Pressure on USVI crime

Cop remanded after allegedly leaving gun at crime scene

News

Tanesha Mundle Wednesday, September 11, 2013

A police constable who allegedly left his service pistol at the scene of a robbery at a wholesale in Harbour View, St Andrew, was on Monday remanded in custody when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.The police officer, Patrick Ingram, allegedly carried out the early morning robbery with the help of two civilians, one of whom was also remanded.The officer, who was assigned in the Kingston Eastern Police Division, was remanded along with his co-accused Brandon Nelson on charges of robbery with aggravation, receiving stolen property, and aiding and abetting robbery with aggravation.Another civilian, Bryan Barnes, was also charged in the incident but was offered bail on medical grounds. His bail was extended.According to police reports, on July 29, about 10:10 am, Ingram and one of the civilians went to the complainant’s business place and told him that they were both police officers and were investigating illegal cigarettes.The men reportedly held the proprietor at gunpoint and robbed the store of $100,000, cigarettes and other items before leaving.However, it is reported that Ingram left his pistol and when he returned for it he was held while the other two accused were later accosted.When the case was mentioned, the prosecutor informed the court that Ingram is to face an identification parade in relation to other issues in another parish.However, the attorneys representing Ingram and Nelson informed the magistrate that they would be applying for bail on the next court date, scheduled for September 20.Police process a recent crime scene in the Corporate Area (Observer file photo)

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Cop remanded after allegedly leaving gun at crime scene

Trinidad PM, Opposition leader agree on measures to deal with crime

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar and Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley have agreed on a number of initiatives to stem rising crime in the twin island state, with the government insisting that “crime is everybody’s business”.

The meeting followed the recent murders, including two 16-year-olds, in a section of the capital earlier this month.In an address to the nation following the meeting Thursday night, Persad Bissessar said that no political party, no individual government can solve crime alone. “This is neither a party nor a political issue. The fight against crime should be something that unites us, not divides us. It will take the collective efforts of the government, all other political groups, the protective services, non-government organisations, businesses and citizens. “Crime is everybody’s business and we cannot end it if we put partisan interests ahead of the good of our country.”Rowley told reporters that the opposition is com¬mit¬ted to working with the government in the fight against crime and reiterated that a collaborative approach was needed.“We are saying that this matter requires urgent action; we will not put any political impediment in the government’s way in treating with the loss of security and loss of opportunities for people in East Port of Spain or anywhere else,” he said.Persad Bissessar said the meeting agreed to devise a new system for the appointment of a Commissioner of Police and to boost the morale within the police service by filling vacancies and undertaking a comprehensive review of promotions in service.There was also an agreement to create a specific offence for witness tampering and intimidation and there would also be a review of the controversial Anti-Gang legislation.Persad Bissessar said with regards to the Bail Act, consideration will be given to deny bail to a convicted criminal if after conviction on a first offence, the person is charged a second time.She said that her administration had undertaken a number of initiatives to deal with the crime situation, and that approval has been given for the police to form a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) and to purchase 300 new vehicles.“This unit will consist of response teams and will be equipped with advanced technological devices to improve police response time to crimes that are in progress. Alongside this, officers will be on patrol throughout the length and breadth of the country,” she said, adding that the teams would initially be focused on the most crime-prone areas in Trinidad and Tobago.“We expect the Unit to be fully operational before the end of the year,” she said, adding that the government has also embarked on a specialised training programme for Special Reserve Police officers. She also called on other stakeholders including religious leaders, teachers,community groups “to continue to work with us so that together we may create safe and secure communities and a country free from fear and the horrendous crimes we are currently witnessing”.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Trinidad PM, Opposition leader agree on measures to deal with crime

Pastor says divine intervention needed to address crime

PASTOR of the Mandeville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manchester Greg Baldeo said recent murders such as that of a man gun downed at the altar in a church, in the presence of children, shows that Jamaica is in desperate need of divine intervention.

Referencing the controversial comments made by National Security Minister Peter Bunting, earlier this year, about the need for divine intervention to fight crime, Baldeo said the minister spoke through divine inspiration.The minister came in for strong criticism and calls for his resignation after he told an audience at the Northern Caribbean University in April, that he was convinced that the best efforts of the security forces alone will not solve the crime problem in Jamaica, but rather it is going to take divine intervention, touching the hearts of a wide cross-section of the society.“In essence, what he was actually doing is calling on all of God’s people who are called by God’s name to humble themselves, and call a fast and pray for God’s divine intervention,” Baldeo told the congregation at the church’s day of prayer for the nation’s independence service on Saturday.However, the pastor argued that interest groups rejected the notion that power is found in prayer.“But as soon as the statement was made, the enemy pulled in the Trojan horse (Trojan horse comes as a disguise to blind your eyes from the actually imminent warfare) and took the country away from the essence of the statement — God is able to help,” Baldeo said.The emphasis, he said, was then placed on the man who uttered the statement.“The media highlighted those calling for the resignation of one who declared that God needs to be the source of all we do and us Christians, who should have gathered together and call on our God, allowed our minds to be politicised and polarised,” he opined.Baldeo stayed clear of siding with any political party, noting that the only vote he has ever cast is for Jesus.“Let me state this categorically, that the only time I have ever voted in my life is in the 80s when I entered the baptismal pool with my mother and voted to follow Jesus all the way,” he said.“Any political party that needs my approval must get the approval from God, and so I am not defending the statement in light of the party the minister represents; I am defending it in light of the God I represent,” he insisted.Baldeo cautioned against the desire to pull in Trojan horses.“When a group of strong, tough men can rape little girls, we need divine intervention; when someone can cut off the head of another human being and continue to walk among us, we need divine intervention; when a stepmother can chop up a four-year-old, put the carcass in a bag, throw it over her back and walk with it like some pig meat, we need divine intervention; when two sisters, who for years grew together and loved each other, and one day they have an argument and one stabs the other and kill her on the spot, we need divine intervention,” he insisted.The pastor, in acknowledging that the Christian battle is not carnal but spiritual, called the members to three days of prayer and fasting, starting yesterday through to Independence Day, tomorrow.This, he explained, is to take back the communities and the country for God.Earlier in the service, the national security minister, who was among the congregants, reiterated the need for divine intervention to address the country’s crime problem and said he had no apology for making that statement in April.Pastor of the Mandeville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Manchester Greg Baldeo prays with Minister of National Security Peter Bunting during a prayer for the nation at the Independence Service held at the Mandeville Church on Saturday.Pastor Greg Baldeo delivering the message.

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Pastor says divine intervention needed to address crime