More anti-crime laws this year

Monique Grange, Assistant News Editor
The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre

Minister of National Security Peter Bunting says his ministry will be working to enact more legislation this year, which is aimed at helping law enforcement in the fight against crime.

He said legislation is coming in the first quarter of this year to facilitate the compulsory acquisition of DNA samples from alleged suspects.

Bunting said the legislation will also make provisions for a registry of those samples.

The National Security Minister said he is also hoping to get the Anti-Gang Legislation and the Advance Fee Fraud Legislation tabled in Parliament in the first quarter of this year.

He said law enforcement personnel will be intensifying efforts to keep major crimes down in 2013.

According to him, all major crimes were down by an overall seven per cent in 2012.

The Police Commissioner Owen Ellington has already said that members of the police force will not relent as they seek to tackle crime in 2013.

He said the police will continue to implement strategies and operational plans that will remove illegal guns from the streets, dismantle gangs and restore a sense of safety and security among citizens.

Like our new Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/gleanerjamaica

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/JamaicaGleaner

radiol@gleanerjm.com