Work of crime observatory to be improved — JSIF
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The coverage, range and distribution of data collected by the Jamaica Crime Observatory is to be improved, following an injection of $43.9 million.
The money is being provided by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), through its Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP), funded by the World Bank.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to solidify this arrangement was signed by representatives of the Ministry of National Security and JSIF during a ceremony at the St Andrew offices of JSIF on Thursday.
JSIF Managing Director, Omar Sweeney said he is pleased that since its inception in 2011, the facility redounded to the benefit of the security ministry.
He noted that under the agreement, the institutional capacity of the Jamaica Crime Observatory will be improved by expanding its coverage, and improving the software used to analyse the data collected.
Sweeney also informed that capacity building activities will also be carried out for staff to analyse and disseminate a greater volume of information.
The funds will also go towards conducting victimisation surveys.
In the meantime, the National Security Ministry’s Chief Technical Director, Security Policy and Risk Management Affairs, Rohan Richards, welcomed the support.
Richards said the additional support will help to fulfill the objective of the observatory, which is to improve the quality of crime and violence statistics that directly influence the design and implementation of evidence based strategies and policies.
