Int’l standards, technology can help to fight crime
JAMAICA, THE island we love, is an extremely diverse country - physically, socially, culturally in speech, its people, music, intellect; but also in its struggle for peace. In spite of the mechanisms implemented over the years to combat crime and violence, the fundamental objectives of an even-closer union among the Jamaica people have decreased in recent times. Fears flood the hearts of our women; revenge causes men to fight back; children are not safe in the streets and other open spaces; and the elderly stay inside. This ought not to be!
From a standardisation perspective, the Jamaica ideal is the free flow of people, capital and goods between parishes and the Caribbean in order to increase trade, improve employment opportunities and raise standards of living for our people. In short: A true reflection of ‘out of many, one’; a move towards reducing crime and fear of crime by using standards, technology and innovation.
The BSJ is advocating for the use of standards and credible digital devices to join the fight against crime. The level of sophistication to which crime has been elevated, through the use of technology and heavy duty weaponry, justifies the country’s need to adopt more innovative approaches to investigating and curtailing it. Looking at initiatives from Europe, there are several relevant European standards (EN) for crime or crime prevention that Jamaica may consider adopting, for example: EN 50130-501136 on alarm systems.
EN 1522/1523 on bullet resistance of doors and windows.
ENV (a pre-standard) 16271629 on burglary resistance of windows, doors and shutters, EN/ISO 12543 on glass in buildings; and
EN 1143 on secure storage units like safes and strong rooms.
These standards are mainly product standards and will be useful if understood by all parties involved in crime prevention and reduction – the police, security firms, insurers and residents. In other words, for this to be successful, a clever combination, for example, is to have a quick and good alarm system signaling a burglar as soon as possible, followed by a swift response from the police while strong doors, windows, locks and burglary-resistant glazing keep the burglar busy.
Another thrust around the world is the use of digital evidence in court cases and legal disputes, due to the development of technology and the growth of criminal activities. These devices can include computers, cell phones, navigation systems, video cameras, storage media, social media and recording applications. The international standard, ISO/IEC 27037:2012, Information technology – security techniques – guidelines for identification, collection, acquisition, and preservation of digital evidence, will ensure the integrity of these pieces of evidence in crime prevention or reduction. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this standard provides guidance to digital evidence first responders (DEFR); digital evidence specialists (DES); Incident response specialists; and forensic laboratory managers. These are careers that could be explored for Jamaica, if not already in place.
For the BSJ, standardisation facilitates communication between different participants or stakeholders working in one process or implementing a project. Crime prevention can be one such project where standards can make a difference. The BSJ, therefore, encourages policymakers in Jamaica to advocate and push the use of standards to aid crime reduction; because standards facilitate cooperation and collaboration, making processes more transparent and efficient.