Hi-tech system to reduce civil cases brought by motorists
June 28, 2006
POLICE vehicles are to be equipped with a computer system that instantly pulls up motorists' records, in a move designed to reduce the growing number of civil cases brought against the police by drivers wrongfully arrested over fines that they have already paid.
Although the police would not say how many civil cases were currently before the court, Observer sources say the numbers were significant and, when settled, could cost the government millions of dollars.
"There are quite a number of court cases," admitted Senior Superintendent Elan Powell, head of the Police Traffic Division.
"I have seen some files where people have taken civil action against the police," was all Powell would say.
He was responding to queries regarding the latest incidents where warrants were issued for two motorists who only escaped being carted off to jail after producing their receipts from the tax office. Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas confirmed that there have been some civil cases brought against the police, but declined to provide figures.
He also said the frequent occurrence of people being issued warrants after paying fines was of great concern, and would be addressed speedily. "It is a concern to us that some people who paid their tickets, warrants were issued out for them," Thomas said, adding that this was to be blamed on a system which had not worked very well over the last months.
The commissioner explained that these errors were caused from a combination of human frailty and malfunctioning equipment, as well as by the high volume of tickets that had been issued. "The new system will definitely take away some of these errors that we now see," he told the Observer....
Author: Ingrid Brown
Source: Jamaica Observer
