KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has joined a growing family of forces outside the UK to adopt sector-leading technology in a drive to revolutionise policing in the country.

This is so as the Ministry of National Security has awarded a key contract to UK-based software supplier Northgate Public Services (NPS) to use the Connect platform to modernise the reporting, management and investigation of crime.

Adoption of the technology is a key element of the Jamaica Vision 2030 national plan which aims to create the conditions for a secure and prosperous future for the country.

NPS said it won the contract for its Connect policing software following a highly-competitive process conducted over an 18-month period involving suppliers from across the globe.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force is the largest police service in the Caribbean with 13,500 warranted officers, serving a population of almost three million people, and will become the second biggest force after the Metropolitan Police in London, England, to use Connect.

Noting that the software platform is already used by around half of all police officers in England, NPS said Connect supports police to act rapidly and effectively, by providing instant access to accurate, logical and consistent information. This, it said, helps officers to assess threat, harm and risk in real time, reducing manual work and quickly directing resources to where they are needed most.

It explained that JCF’s use of Connect will focus on the platform’s record management system and proactive management planning functions, to support the service’s key objective to improve conviction rates and drive down serious and violent crime.

According to NPS, the implementation of Connect will enable a move away from manual records. It said it will also deliver a host of benefits, including valuable data and analysis on crime trends to enable the effective targeting of police resources.

Head of Police and Justice at NPS, Paul Jackson, who is leading the drive into international markets for Connect, said: “Connect will provide the Jamaica Constabulary Force with a future-proofed platform to drive forward modernisation and address the policing challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Jackson explained that, “It will accelerate the move away from manual record-keeping and support delivery of the force’s key strategic objectives, especially driving down violent crime and increasing conviction rates for the most serious offences.”

“From a public perspective, Connect’s robust security features will help to build confidence and trust, while its reporting capabilities will provide enhanced support for victims and witnesses, including through regular updates on the progress of criminal investigations,” he added.