Handheld Traffic Ticketing Units for Jamaican Police a success but no Automated Traffic Ticketing System - GOJ fears the All Seeing Eyes of CCTV

Folks, we are now in the Second Quarter of 2012AD. Last year, thanks to good luck and a strong ad campaign, the NRSC (National Road Safety Council) achieved its objective of less than three hundred (300) deaths for the year 2011AD as stated in the article “NRSC urges pedestrians to take responsibility for their safety”, published Friday, September 23, 2011, The Jamaica Observer.

In addition to that the much promised handheld units for the issuing of Road and Traffic Violation Tickets by the end of the Fourth Quarter of 2011AD as stated in the article “New Ticketing System to collect billions in unpaid fines”, published Friday, February 11^th 2011 20:41 by JIS News and “Cops to use electronic Ticketing System”, published Friday, September 02, 2011, The Jamaica Observer seems to have come to pass.

This as the JIS (Jamaica Information Service) the mouthpiece of the Government of Jamaica, has reported that the Handheld Units now in use by the JCF (Jamaica Constabulary Force) aka the Jamaican Police has been yielding significant results as stated in the article “New Traffic Ticketing System Yielding Results”, published THURSDAY, 05 APRIL 2012 16:56 By Chris Patterson, JIS.

So much so that the GOJ, like Oliver Twist wants more! According to their Tabled Estimates of Expenditure, a few quick facts about Traffic Ticket collection figures can be gleaned thus far:

1.      In fiscal year 2011-2012, the GOJ collected JA$620 million in Traffic Tickets

2.      In fiscal year 2010-2011, the GOJ collected JA$620.1 million in Traffic Tickets

3.      In fiscal year 2010-2011, the GOJ projected the collection of JA$446 million had been revised upwards to JA$620.7 million (which they almost achieved!)

4.      In fiscal year 2010-2011, the GOJ has projected the collection of JA$1.32 billion from Traffic Tickets, an increase of JA$710 million over fiscal year 2011-2012

Guess I was the doubting Thomas when I penned in my blog article entitled “NRSC to reach 300 Road Traffic Fatalities in 2011AD – Contractor Mad Money for Automatic Traffic Ticketing System” and “Motorist, NRSC and the New Traffic Ticket System - Nowhere to Run”.

Strangely enough, I may still be right, as:

1.      The Automated Traffic Ticketing System still has not been implemented

2.      The Legislative changes needed to make the Automated Traffic Ticketing System still has not been implemented

3.      No enforced ban on the use of Cellphones while driving

This as is now obvious from reading the article entitled “STOP IT! - NRSC calls for electronic monitoring of Traffic signals”, published Sunday May 6, 2012 by Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner. Very sad indeed!

Executive Director of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Paula Fletcher has the floor. She had first brought the issue to life in July 2009AD as stated in the article “CCTV speed Traps - Surveillance Cams to track Road Hogs” published Monday July 13, 2009 by Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This time around in the in the article entitled “STOP IT! - NRSC calls for electronic monitoring of Traffic signals”, published Sunday May 6, 2012 by Tyrone Reid, Senior Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner, her words ring true again in howls of protest, quote: “Speeding and running the red light are two of the major reasons for the need to have electronic surveillance. We need to treat it as a matter of urgency because lives are at risk”!

The usual excuse has been trotted out against the implementation of this System; too expensive, to summarize the quote from Senior Superintendent of Police and Head of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Traffic Division, Radcliffe Lewis: “Right now, because of the economic crisis facing the country, (the Government) is not in a position to do that even though it would assist us in our crime-fighting efforts as well. The country is just not in a position to entertain a venture that cost that amount of money”.

He estimated that such a System would cost US$50 million to equip all Traffic light islandwide with cameras. Please note this is to implement such a System; it doesn’t cover maintenance of said System, certain to be the target of vandals bent on their crimes not being caught on camera.

I guess human life is merely a numbers game with the NRSC merely watching the figures while the GOJ fears loss of freedom to such an “All Seeing Eye” of an Automated Traffic Ticketing System whose CCTV Surveillance Cameras Network that would make Crime next to difficult to commit without an electronics Witness. Politicians would not like that and neither would their Criminal underworld cronies.

Sad, but I can really offer no words to solve this problem, save that the Government of Jamaica do what is right for the citizens and allocate funding to change the legislation to facilitate having this System implemented.

After all, it can be the basis for a comprehensive overhaul of our Justice System as suggested in my blog article entitled “NRSC to reach 300 Road Traffic Fatalities in 2011AD – Contractor Mad Money for Automatic Traffic Ticketing System” and “Motorist, NRSC and the New Traffic Ticket System - Nowhere to Run”.

It may even lead to the development of Pre-Crime in Jamaica, in essence the prediction and prevention of Crime based on profiles of on physiological stress indicators that give away Criminals as is currently being tested in the United States of America as recorded in my blog article entitled “US Homeland Security quietly researches Pre-Crime - Minority Report's Source Code”.

Stay tuned to this blog as this GOJ Drive for increased profits from Traffic Tickets unravels with the short-term benefits in improved behavior on Jamaica’s Roads!