Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

JAMAICA, scarred by more than 760 murders since the start of the year, may be facing "terrorism of a different kind," Prime Minister Bruce Golding said in Parliament yesterday.

Golding, who was speaking on national security in the 2008-2009 Sectoral Debate, said the murders that have been taking place "demonstrate a level of viciousness, a level of calculatedness ... suggests that these are murders that are not committed in the heat of a dispute but they are calculated, planned and executed".

The prime minister announced a range of plans, though without providing timelines, that he said were critical to tackling crime.

Golding said the powers of the security forces need to be strengthened in the fight against crime and highlighted several legislative changes which may be necessary.

Presumed innocent

Under the Constitution, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty but Golding said it might become necessary to introduce legislation that allows for the unusually long detention of persons.

"We need to do a serious assessment, a serious analysis to determine whether or not that presumption of innocence has also been, in effect, leaving those very citizens that it is designed to protect at the mercy of gunmen," the prime minister said.

Golding said all Jamaicans may soon require identification cards to purchase cellular phones or SIM cards and could face heavy sanctions for failing to be in possession of their driver's licences when driving.

A subcommittee of Parliament has been set up to analyse these and other proposals the prime minister brought to Parliament yesterday.

Golding said yesterday that efforts were being made to equip the police with the tools to do their jobs. He said the acquisition of high-tech equipment to prevent and detect criminal activity would be a major undertaking of Government. He added that there would be greater use of non-lethal devices in going after criminals.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com