UTech, Jamaica and Crime Stop Jamaica Join Forces with Digital Crime Tip Innovation

Mrs. Sandra Glasgow, Chairperson of the National Crime Prevention Fund (Crime Stop Jamaica) and Professor Stephen Vasciannie, President, University of Technology, Jamaica display a copy of the signed licence agreement between the two entities, for Crime Stop Jamaica’s use of the UTech, Jamaica designed 311tips.com software.  Occasion was the launch of 311tips.com and signing ceremony held on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at the Shared Facilities Building, UTech, Jamaica Papine Campus.

The University of Technology, Jamaica at a launch ceremony today (December 11, 2019), formally handed over the digital crime tip application, 311tips.com to Crime Stop Jamaica under a licence agreement. The URL, 311tips.com application designed by UTech, Jamaica for Crime Stop Jamaica, provides the latest channel through which citizens can send anonymous information on criminal activity to Crime Stop Jamaica. The application allows individuals to send a text via the web-based platform of up to 1,000 characters, as well as to attach up to three images, and related video and audio to Crime Stop Jamaica, without giving any form of identification. Each tip sent to Crime Stop Jamaica via 311.tips.com is automatically assigned a reference code.  However, the code is not stored anywhere on the user’s device and can never be retrieved from the device upon exiting 311tips.com.   The reference code enables tipsters to follow up with Crime Stop Jamaica on a sent tip, if they are desirous of perusing available rewards for a successful tip.

Speaking at the launch ceremony held at the University’s Papine Campus, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, President, UTech, Jamaica said that the University “is pleased to be among partners with Crime Stop Jamaica in its mandate to continue to reduce crime in our country and to discourage criminal activity.” He added that UTech, Jamaica shares in this mission and is pleased to be able “to offer intellectual resources and expertise from within our University, to provide solutions to an area of significant national concern.” The President also noted that “UTech, Jamaica stands ready to offer our expertise to other Jamaican institutions and industries to assist in achieving their respective missions.”  He thanked all persons from within the University who contributed to the development of the software “as a full community service to Crime Stop Jamaica.”

Noting that the partnership has come to fruition at an opportune time when Jamaica is grappling with the scourge of crime and violence, the University President underscored that “as a nation we need to do everything to encourage wide scale cooperation in reducing crime and discouraging criminal activity.”  He commended the leadership of Crime Stop Jamaica under the direction of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) for its 30-year track record of successful partnerships with the police, the media, other key stakeholders and well-thinking citizens of Jamaica in sharing information on criminal activity.  “The organisation’s immeasurable contribution to helping Jamaica in the fight against crime has been a credit to this nation,” Professor Vasciannie stated.

In her remarks, Chairperson of the National Crime Prevention Fund, Mrs. Sandra Glasgow noted that Crime Stop Jamaica is proud of its 30 year record of remaining “an anonymous channel to give the Police information on all kinds of crime, without one tipster ever being compromised.”  Underscoring the complete integrity and security of the new 311tips.com platform, Mrs. Glasgow noted that “the software not only allows individuals to discretely provide information to Crime Stop using their mobile devices, very importantly, it does so while protecting their identities.”  She also pointed out that “like our other channels, our telephone tip line, 311 and our Crime Tips Online via our website www.crimestop.org, users can be assured that all our systems sanitize user data so we never know who our tipsters are.”

Mrs. Glasgow thanked UTech, Jamaica for the technology innovation, noting that “UTech is fulfilling its mandate as our national technological university having created the URL 311tips.com as a gift to Crime Stop and the people of Jamaica to act as another catalyst for residents, especially our youth, to be involved in crime mitigation.”  She added:  “On behalf of the Board of Directors and the management of Crime Stop Jamaica, we thank all those involved – students, lectures and the administration.” 

A public education video demonstrating the use and functionalities of the 311tips.com platform was presented at the launch ceremony, ahead of questions posed by members of the press and guests in attendance. 

Mr Brian Schmidt, Director,  National Crime Prevention Fund (Crime Stop Jamaica) and Mrs. Prudence Gentles, Manager Crime Stop Jamaica field questions from members of the audience.

End.

Contact:
Michelle Beckford (Mrs.)
Corporate Communications Manager
University of Technology, Jamaica
Telephone: 970-5299
Email: mbeckford@utech.edu.jm