Dr. Horace Chang, deputy prime minister and minister of National Security has highlighted the establishment of a multi-biometric identification system at the Criminal Records Office (CRO).

“While there may be an occasional hitch, the long lines associated with the [CRO] is no longer part of our daily life,” he said.

Chang was speaking in the House of Representatives delivering his 2023 Sectoral Debate presentation today (April 25).

He then shared stories of encounters with people at the CRO recounting their experiences having to wait in long lines for house.

“I went there one morning and was particularly upset and felt hurt because there was an elderly taxi-man in there. He was about 65 but he was there because he’s an honest, hardworking Jamaican and he was going to get his criminal record in order to get back his license. He was not a robot [taxi], not trying to beat the system and he told me that he had to go there every year and spend two to four hours at the criminal records office,” said Chang.

“There was also a lady in her 60s who was the attendant in a bank manager’s office and each year. They had to be going down there in a long line, in the sun waiting for three to four hours. It was intolerable,” he added.

“Let me thank the team from the Jamaica Constabulary Force. They got it fixed in a timely manner and pretty soon, to get your records, you may not have to go too far. You’ll go to the police station, put your fingerprint in, you do the first screening and if you’re fine, you go. If there is anything to be served for, later you get it done,” said Chang.

“But they have resolved the problem. The long lines are no longer at the Criminal Records Office on Duke Street,” he said.

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