Buoyed by the public’s response to its toll-free line, Operation Kingfish is now hoping to nudge even more witnesses to come forward by copying a popular interactive television programme, Crimewatch UK, that has aired in Britain for the last 20 years.

The popular show, which has featured 2,923 cases in the last two decades, has led to 879 arrests and 450 convictions. It is aired on BBC1 once a month, during prime time.

The suggestion for a local spin-off will be discussed with government officials, as well as members of Operation Trident, the UK-based counterpart to Kingfish, who will arrive in the island early next month.

Crimewatch UK is a combination of re-enactments of crimes, first-hand accounts from victims and their family members, as well as a call-in session where witnesses or other persons with vital information can anonymously supply tips, off the air, that may help the police solve hard-to-crack case. In addition to the show’s civilian hosts, police officers whose cases are being highlighted are usually in the studio.

“Here at Kingfish we figure that we can work with something like that,” said information officer Sergeant Steve Brown. He was among a team of lawmen and security ministry officials that made a trip to the UK, earlier this month, to meet with their British counterparts as well as members of the large Jamaican population.

“We’re going to discuss it with the relevant authorities and we may well invite the producers of the UK show here, later on, to give us a more in-depth look at the Crimewatch programme,” Brown said.

The proposal for Crimewatch Jamaica is still in the preliminary stages, but he was confident that it would work once it gets off the ground. The first-hand accounts of crime victims will tug at the hearts of viewers and spur them into calling in with information, Brown said.

“If they see the real victims, people will be motivated to call,” he said, adding that there was a misconception that Jamaicans, in general, are reluctant to give information to the police.

Since Kingfish was launched last October, Brown explained, 804 of the calls received had led to either an arrest, the seizure of a firearm, ammunition or drugs, pointed them in the direction of an illegal airstrip or a combination of these events.

He is optimistic that the private sector, which had come on board to help with other crime-fighting initiatives, will help provide financial support in the form of sponsorship for Crimewatch Jamaica.

“I think when we put our proposals forward it will work, there’s absolutely no doubt about that,” Brown said. “The private sector will be there to support us. Crime fighting is everybody’s responsibility. Everybody wants to see crime decrease significantly.”

He added: “Just like the people who are supporting the Crime Stop programme now, I think they’ll come on board.”