For the record, pay them back!
Opposition spokesman on national security Fitz Jackson says the Government should immediately reimburse persons who have paid fees for emergency police records, which have not been delivered due to delays caused by repairs to the facility, leading to the breakdown of regular operations.
The office’s Duke Street location was shut down in mid-September due to air quality concerns, and operations set up from 6-8 Orange Street in downtown Kingston, but with limited services.
Yesterday Jackson said the Government’s failure to fix the problems at the office quickly, while collecting fees for emergency services amounted to a ‘breach of contract’ as many of the persons paying for the quick turn-a-round in service would not be satisfied any time soon.
The South St Catherine Member of Parliament (MP) said the problems at the office had also added to the overcrowding of jails, as convicts held in lockups require criminal records before they are transferred to correctional facilities.
“The situation has compounded an already serious condition in many lock-ups due to overcrowding of jail cells throughout the system,” he stated.
Jackson pointed to assurances by the National Security Council (NSC) that remedial action was being taken, noting that at the NSC’s most recent meeting, he was assured that the Government would formally instruct all its agencies to relax deadlines for submitting police records, and similarly appeal to non-governmental agencies, including embassies, high commissions, and other foreign agencies to do likewise, in light of the breakdown at the agency.
Following the closure of the office and subsequent relocation, the Opposition had also raised concerns that thousands of jobs are at risk, as employers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector were not able to get police record reports to clear potential employees for hiring.
Opposition spokesman on technology, Julian Robinson, said that even though the office had reopened, there was such a large backlog that hundreds of potential employees could not be confirmed in their positions, noting that persons who needed reports for travel, courts proceedings, or other security verification had also been affected.
Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the relocation, head of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), Gloria Henry, confirmed that there had been complaints about delays with police reports and that one company had indicated that over 1,500 reports were outstanding.
“It really poses a challenge for the completion of the hiring process and certainly for those persons how would’ve been at the point of completing the hiring process — their jobs are at risk,” she stated.
Jackson insisted yesterday that the Government should immediately address the issues at the criminal records office by setting up an “equitable, workable backlog recovery and emergency system”.