Kerr-Jarrett wants greater use of CCTV in MoBay crime fight

WESTERN BUREAU:

Developer Mark Kerr-Jarrett is calling for an expansion of the CCTV network in the Second City, hoping that successes in the identification of a murder suspect within 48 hours and his eventual conviction can be replicated to put a damper on crime in Montego Bay.

Twenty-seven-year-old Rushawn Bulgin was identified as the perpetrator in the murder of Matthew Lettman along the Jimmy Cliff Boulevard in Montego Bay less than two days after the homeless man was bludgeoned to death in March.

Bulgin was sentenced to 20 years in prison in late October after pleading guilty in face of the evidence.

“This serves as a poignant example of the significant impact that cameras and technology can have on police work and overall civilian security,” said Kerr-Jarrett, who has been advocating for greater use of surveillance cameras in Montego Bay and its environs.

“This rapid and effective resolution [of the Lettman case] underscores the capabilities of CCTV cameras,” he told The Gleaner.

The Montego Bay businessman, who has invested millions of dollars into the expansion of the city, said that given the challenges associated with expanding human resources in the police force, it becomes increasingly logical to leverage technology across a broader spectrum – “extending beyond Jimmy Cliff Boulevard and downtown Montego Bay to areas like Salt Spring, Albion, Granville, and other identified hotspots”.

He stressed that the integrated technology platform of the cameras is crucial, particularly when examining incidents like the one involving Lettman, who was brutally attacked while sleeping.

While the government has been pushing to have a national JamaicaEye network linking CCTV systems across the island, key stakeholders have pointed to budgetary constraints hampering the team’s ability to deploy the cameras in some towns, including Montego Bay.

But Kerr-Jarrett argued that there is a need to consider deploying the technology where it is most urgently required, particularly in high-crime areas.

“The swift apprehension of the individual who attacked the homeless person within 48 hours showcases the technology’s ability to identify, track, and apprehend violent criminals efficiently. The potential of this technology, according to experts, lies in crime apprehension and identification rather than crime prevention alone,” he noted.

His comments were bolstered by Senior Superintendent Vernon Ellis, who heads the St James Police Division.

Ellis saluted the team at the police’s Communication Forensic & Cyber Crime Division for its work in the case.

“The lead detective was very astute in how he handled the matter and the intelligence unit expended the resources needed to track down the killer and make capture possible within 48 hours,” he noted.

With the strong evidence, Bulgin, he said, was forced to accept a plea deal.

Marlene Lettman, a cousin of the victim, remains in awe of the quick time in which the case was completed, although she was disappointed with the length of the sentence.

“The cameras are doing the job. I’m glad he (Bulgin) was picked. He had nowhere to go,” she told The Gleaner.

Marlene said that Lettman and his mother, who is also mentally ill, lived on the streets and the family was unable to manage their situation.

“Owing to his illness, he wanted to be nowhere else, but to be with his mother on the streets,” she said.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com