Mark Shields, managing director and lead principal of Shields Security Consultants held a breakfast forum at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, entitled ‘Securing Tomorrow: Enhancing Physical Security Through Technology‘.

The event was sponsored by Digicel Business.

Mark Shields came to Jamaica in 2003 and was seconded from Scotland Yard in 2005, going on to become Jamaica’s deputy police commissioner.

The experienced crime fighter has always stressed the importance of technology in preventing crime in Jamaica and has called on companies to turn in this direction with criminality costing the country five per cent of its GDP.

He has called for improved DNA testing and more emphasis to be placed on forensics.

More often than not, Jamaican companies are unwilling to spend on security measures finding the cost prohibitive and opting for the all too familiar, security guard and patrolling dog.

With scamming and digital theft gripping Jamaica, a new approach is needed and there are calls for greater cybersecurity.

Shields Security Consultants is the sales agent for Verkada Integrated Security System in Jamaica.

Shields did not renew his contract with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) choosing instead to form his own company in 2009. It has gone from strength to strength with an emphasis on providing state-of-the-art technological solutions.

As crime escalates in Jamaica, new approaches must be employed. The country can’t keep returning to the same old methods that have clearly failed.

In an interview with Mutabaruka, Mark Shields gave his thoughts on the JCF and crime in Jamaica, sharing: “The JCF has a few good people, very professional, very dedicated to what they do but it still has an internal problem of corruption. There is still a critical mass of people within the organisation who do not want to change.

“As far as the Government is concerned, there needs to be a new will to make things happen. Whether the zones of special operations work, we will have to see. If you look at the murder rate in St James since the State of Emergency, it has certainly reduced. We have to chase these criminals off the street, not just in St James but everywhere else. We need to keep criminals in fear of us, rather than the public, the good people of Jamaica in fear of criminals.”

Check out these Our Today photos from the Shields Breakfast Forum: