KINGSTON, Jamaica — Construction of the proposed State-run autopsy suite is expected to get under way in June.

National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, made the announcement at a post Sectoral Debate press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday, adding that several matters are being finalised with the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) to enable the project’s commencement.

“They have given us land somewhere on Orange Street near the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), which is the appropriate (location) for it. The KSAMC has documented its willingness to hand over the land,” the minister said.  

The facility is expected to be designed to international standards and will enable investigators to quickly conclude investigations and bring criminals to justice in a faster turnaround time.

“It (the facility) will make a significant difference to the services provided in that area, not only in terms of our ability to deliver quality evidence but we have a responsibility to the public regarding sudden deaths and other activities, and we have really been experiencing major challenges,” Chang said.

Meanwhile, the minister informed of plans to expand the Institute of Forensic Science and Legal Medicine by “providing it with the tools [so] that it can make the kind of contribution it should to modern crime-fighting”.

“In the ecosystem that we’re operating, science today plays a major role. We have a very serious culture of ‘informer fi dead’ in a lot of our communities and, therefore, witnesses are hesitant to come forward,” he said.

Chang added that “when we have the science, it makes a significant difference; it certainly will play a major role in dismantling the gangs over the next few years”.