Editorial

National Identification System will be Game Changer

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, says the National Identification System will be a huge game changer in the fight against crime.

According to the Minister, the system will not only be able to assist the police, but will also be useful with banks and other entities in ascertaining the true identity of individuals.

“We have recently passed legislation in Parliament. The National Identification System will be put in place very soon, where every single Jamaican will have an identity by biometrics, including fingerprint, eye colour and DNA,” the Minister said.

Mr. Chuck was addressing the 40th anniversary of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Class of 1977, at the Jewel Runaway Bay Resort in St. Ann on March 25.

The Minister said whenever the police stop or accost someone, the true identity of that person must be known beyond the shadow of a doubt.

He also noted that the police will be provided with the necessary tools or machine, so that a person’s identification card can be swiped and where all the biometric information will immediately become available.

“If that person gives you the wrong name, then the results after swiping the card will tell you if that person is trying to mislead you,” Mr. Chuck said.

“Moreover, if at a crime scene you find fingerprints and you don’t know who they belong to, a quick check with the National Identification System headquarters will reveal the identity of the person. They will be able to tell you, because the fingerprints will match those that are already in the system,” he added.

The Minister said persons should not be worried about privacy violation, as the record will be kept secret and be used only for the intended purpose.

“It is simply to catch persons who are committing crimes and using other identities, and also to remain one step ahead of the criminals. It will arguably be one of the most important and effective crime-fighting tools yet,” he said.

Article by: Garwin Davis
Photo from: www.jis.gov.jm

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