FORMER Police Commissioner of New York City William Bratton, who has been credited for a 60 per cent drop in crime in that US city between 1994 and 1996, will be the guest speaker at next week’s crime, investment and tourism forum in Montego Bay.

The forum, which will run from May 25 to 26 at the Wyndham Rose Hall hotel, is being staged by the Rotary Club of Montego Bay East, with the support of Rotary Clubs across the island.

“We have conceived the Rotary Forum on Crime, Investment and Tourism as the ideal interactive, community-based event to heighten awareness in members of the public,” said co-ordinator Gordon Brown. “(It will be aimed at bringing) suppliers, purveyors and specialists into contact with their logical market base and to sensitise the government to the people’s views as to how this seemingly intractable (crime) problem can be solved through our conjoined efforts as a people,” he said.

Topics to be discussed will include:

* the role of the developed nations;

* the drug/crime connection;

* gun control: stemming the outward flow;

* the urban youth phenomenon;

* crime management, needs assessment and resource deployment;

* the role of the media – demands of responsible journalism;

* crime and tourism – strategies for effective prevention and control;

* building investor confidence in a troubled milieu; and

* personal and family security: new perspectives.

A compilation of the issues and solutions presented at the forum will be delivered to Prime Minister P J Patterson and Minister of National Security and Justice K D Knight.

According to Brown, the document will be presented for “immediate action and implementation, where appropriate”.

Internationally renowned author on crime related issues Jeffrey Robinson, who is a highly sought after consultant to international policing agencies, will also address a dinner gathering that begins at 7:30 pm on May 26. Other participants will include Howard Hamilton, QC; attorney Gina Morley, who will speak on the Bahamian experience and publisher Lloyd B Smith will be the rapporteur for that segment.

The forum will take the shape of discussions that will give both presenters as well as members of the public, time to supply their ideas and input. The presenter will address the gathering first, then a panellists (who had previously been presented with a copy of the presenter’s text) will critique his presentation; and finally a rapporteur will act as the intermediary between public participants and presenters.