作者： admin

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Even as Jamaica celebrates landmark progress in cutting both violent traditional crime and digital incidents, the top cybersecurity official at the island nation’s Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) is sounding a clear alarm: an unavoidable wave of AI-fueled cyber attacks is on the horizon. Dr. Patrick Linton, MOCA’s chief cybersecurity expert, shared this warning during a plenary session focused on security and public safety at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, hosted last Tuesday at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Linton explained that the rapid evolution of digital technology and expanding internet access across Jamaica have created ideal conditions for cyber threats to grow more complex and widespread. “As crime has dropped in the physical world, as the commissioner’s representative and the national security minister noted, it has simultaneously grown on digital platforms,” Linton told attendees. “We have already tracked a steady rise in cybercrimes and related incidents across the country.”

What makes the coming wave particularly concerning, Linton emphasized, is the integration of artificial intelligence into criminal strategies. AI-powered cyber attacks will dramatically boost both the scale and sophistication of threats targeting Jamaica and nations across the globe, he said. “We are going to see a surge in cyber attacks enabled by artificial intelligence, so it is critical that the public understands the shifting risk landscape we face,” he warned.

In response to this emerging threat, MOCA is moving aggressively to strengthen public resilience through expanded education and outreach. The agency is embedding cyber safety training into schools, universities, churches and a wide range of community social facilities, while ramping up public awareness campaigns to help Jamaicans recognize and avoid common cyber threats. “We are expanding our awareness sessions, and institutionalizing cybercrime education across primary and secondary schools, as well as higher education institutions. Our teams have already delivered training to churches and dozens of community groups across the country,” Linton added.

Looking back at his decades-long career in cybersecurity, Linton recalled a formative trip to South Korea 20 years ago, where local authorities were already fending off roughly 16,000 cyber attacks every single day. At the time, most Jamaicans dismissed that level of cyber activity as something that could never happen on the island, he noted. “Now, with far wider internet penetration and greater volumes of personal and institutional data online, we are absolutely going to see a rise in cybercrimes, ranging from phishing scams to business email compromise and other sophisticated attacks,” Linton said.

Linton also confirmed that over the past five years, multiple Jamaican government systems have already faced cyber attacks, with MOCA leading the response to contain and remediate those breaches. While threats remain active, he credited targeted public education and cross-sector partnerships for the notable drop in successful cyber incidents Jamaica has seen in recent years. Early gaps in public awareness, the absence of formalized cyber incident response frameworks and limited institutional focus on cybersecurity left the country far more vulnerable in years past, Linton explained. Those weaknesses pushed MOCA to deepen collaboration with system administrators, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), educational institutions and community groups — efforts that have delivered clear results. “We have seen a sharp reduction, a significant slash in successful cyber attacks against public and private targets across Jamaica,” he said.

Beyond financial and state-targeted cybercrime, Linton also highlighted the growing crisis of cyberbullying, a issue that keeps MOCA’s response teams busy around the clock. The agency receives constant reports of online harassment, he said, underscoring the organization’s expanding mandate to protect vulnerable populations in digital spaces. “Our core mission at MOCA is to work hand-in-hand with communities to reduce the prevalence of cyber attacks, and to prosecute offenders under existing national laws when cybercrimes are committed,” Linton noted.

The security plenary session, moderated by Senior Superintendent Dennis Brooks, also included remarks from several top Jamaican security officials: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Dr. Horace Chang, Deputy Commissioner of Police Richard Stewart, and Chief Technical Director for Crime Prevention Shauna Trowers.

Dr. Chang used the platform to share promising news about broader crime reduction efforts across Jamaica, announcing that the island recorded 674 murders in 2025 — marking the first time in more than 30 years that the annual homicide total has dropped below 700, a milestone he described as historic. The 2025 homicide rate landed at 24 per 100,000 people, a dramatic decline from the 62 per 100,000 recorded in 2005. What is more, homicides in the first quarter of 2026 have already fallen 29 percent compared to the same period in 2025, Chang added.

The national security minister also noted that law enforcement clearance rates have improved dramatically over the past 13 years. In 2012, police made 44 arrests for every 100 murders committed; by 2025, that number climbed to 99 arrests per 100 murders. This improvement has strengthened deterrence and boosted public confidence in Jamaica’s law enforcement institutions, Chang said.

Last Friday, Jamaica’s Court of Appeal convened a rare full-bench special sitting to celebrate the life and legacy of Ian Forte, the court’s late former president, who passed away on June 5 at the age of 89. Across Jamaica’s legal community and the wider Caribbean, tributes poured in highlighting the profound respect Forte earned over a trailblazing 50-plus year career in law and judiciary.

Forte’s journey through Jamaica’s legal system saw him rise through nearly every key rank, starting as a practicing counsel, before serving as resident magistrate, director of public prosecutions, and ultimately earning elevation to the Court of Appeal as a judge in 1988. He stepped into the role of Court of Appeal President in 1999, holding the position until his retirement in 2005. Beyond Jamaica’s borders, his reputation for intellectual rigor and integrity earned him cross-regional appointments, including serving on the Courts of Appeal for both the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Presiding over the special sitting, current Court of Appeal President Marva McDonald-Bishop opened the tributes by emphasizing that Forte’s contributions extended far beyond his formal judicial work. “In every office he held within the legal and judicial system, whether at home or abroad, he exemplified the fundamental qualities that sustain confidence in the administration of justice,” she said. McDonald-Bishop noted that through his sharp scholarship and balanced judgment, Forte left an indelible mark on Jamaican and Caribbean jurisprudence. What truly defines his legacy, she added, is his selfless service outside the courtroom: through his local church, the Norman Manley Law School, his alma mater St George’s College, and the Kiwanis Club, he touched countless lives through mentorship, teaching, and quiet generosity. His lifelong commitment to public service, she said, earned him formal national and professional honors that rightly reflect the widespread respect he inspired across the legal community and the nation.

Jamaica’s Chief Justice Bryan Sykes, head of the national judiciary, shared a pre-recorded message noting that Forte’s decades of dedication helped shape the development of Jamaican jurisprudence and strengthen the judiciary, a core institution of the country’s constitutional democracy. Sykes pointed out that as Court of Appeal President, Forte occupied one of the nation’s highest judicial offices, and he carried the unique responsibility of appellate adjudication with extraordinary seriousness and principle. “Those who appeared before him quickly came to appreciate that he was always thoroughly prepared. He understood that judicial preparation is, itself, a form of respect — respect for the litigants, respect for counsel, respect for colleagues, and respect for the judicial process,” Sykes said.

Sykes also highlighted Forte’s rare judicial temperament: at a time when modern public discourse often prioritizes loud certainty over thoughtful reflection, Forte remained a model of calm deliberation. Soft-spoken, courteous, and respectful to everyone who entered his courtroom, Forte’s gentle demeanor never masked his formidable intellect and deep mastery of the law, Sykes added.

Winston Anderson, president of the Caribbean Court of Justice, echoed these remarks, noting that Forte’s 50-year career reflected extraordinary dedication and a deep, abiding passion for the law. “It speaks to a life devoted to the thoughtful interpretation and persistent advancement of the law, whether in chambers preparing and strategising, at the Bar table arguing a case, or behind the bench crafting decisions whose influence resonated far beyond the courtroom,” Anderson said. Forte’s life’s work, he added, ultimately shaped how Caribbean people interact with public institutions, how those institutions function, and how individual rights are protected and advanced across the region.

Patrick Brooks, retired former president of the Court of Appeal, recalled his early experiences working with Forte when Forte served as director of public prosecutions, saying he was always in awe of Forte’s leadership. Even when parties disagreed with his rulings, Brooks noted, Forte’s judgments were always fair and rigorously reasoned. “I stood on his shoulders in my time as president, and the court is much better for his administration of it,” Brooks said.

Responding to the outpouring of tributes, Forte’s widow, Marlene Malahoo Forte — a third-term Jamaican parliamentarian and former minister of legal and constitutional affairs — confirmed that the public portrayals of her late husband matched the man she knew in private. Citing a popular Jamaican proverb that notes knowing someone publicly is very different from living with them privately, she said: “for Ian, seeing him and living with him were the same. Everything I have heard said about him publicly I’ve lived it privately with him.”

Opening up about their life together, Malahoo Forte described Forte as a man easy to love, who commanded deep respect for his commitment to Jamaica and the justice system. She said she counted it a privilege to care for him through all stages of his life, from his career prime to his final vulnerable years, and that he remained lucid and kept his characteristic sense of humor until the end of his life. When she made the decision to leave the judicial branch to enter electoral politics, she said, Forte was initially disappointed but never stood in her way, instead offering unwavering support and drawing on his decades of experience to provide constant wisdom and guidance.

The special sitting was also attended by dozens of Forte’s family members, and additional tributes were delivered by senior legal figures including former Appeal Court President Seymour Panton, Attorney General Dr Derrick McKoy KC, multiple former and current directors of public prosecutions, Senate President Tom Tavares-Finson KC, and representatives from both the public and private bar.

Jamaica’s expansive road network relies on regular patching work to keep connections open and travelers safe, but many motorists rarely stop to question why some repairs last for years while others fail within months. In a submitted commentary, infrastructure expert Denton Moore, author of *Risk Management in Secondary Road Construction and Maintenance in Jamaica*, breaks down the multilayered set of factors that determine the longevity and performance of road patching projects across the island.

Road patching is the most routine yet critical form of road maintenance in Jamaica, addressing everything from deep potholes formed by heavy traffic to pavement damage worsened by intense seasonal rainfall. When done correctly, these repairs preserve access for all road users and cut the risk of traffic accidents caused by uneven pavement. Despite its seemingly simple appearance, Moore explains, the lifespan of a patch depends on a range of interconnected variables: the quality of raw materials, ambient weather during construction, site drainage, the skill of the construction crew, daily traffic volumes, and the structural condition of the underlying road base.

Of all these variables, material and construction quality stands as the most impactful. National and international established standards outline clear protocols for material selection, on-site testing, and construction techniques that directly boost repair durability. When contractors source high-grade materials and adhere to these verified procedures, Moore notes, patches deliver consistent performance and far longer service life, reducing the need for frequent repeat repairs.

A second often overlooked critical factor is site drainage. Moore emphasizes that water is the single leading cause of premature road and repair deterioration across Jamaica’s tropical climate. Even if a patch uses the highest quality materials, blocked drainage ditches or standing water trapped on or under the road surface will seep into the pavement, weaken the bond between the patch and existing road, and lead to rapid cracking and crumbling. Without addressing underlying drainage issues before patching, any repair effort is likely to be short-lived.

Beyond engineering and construction considerations, successful road maintenance also depends on rigorous pre-project planning, budgeting, and financial stewardship — an area where quantity surveyors play an indispensable, underrecognized role. These finance and infrastructure specialists produce detailed, accurate estimates for all project costs, including materials, labor, heavy equipment, and ancillary project needs. Reliable cost data allows road agencies to build effective budgets and make strategic decisions about how to allocate limited public maintenance funds to deliver the greatest benefit across the network.

By collaborating closely with civil engineers, project managers, field technicians, and private contractors, quantity surveyors ensure that every repair project is mapped out thoroughly and resources are distributed to avoid waste. For Jamaican road agencies, which are tasked with maintaining thousands of kilometers of road while balancing competing infrastructure priorities and tight budgets, delivering maximum value for every public dollar spent is a core objective. This means not just patching damaged pavement, but designing and executing repairs that maximize long-term performance and useful lifespan.

As Jamaica ramps up investments in preserving and upgrading its national road network, Moore argues that sustained focus on four core pillars will drive better outcomes: strict adherence to quality standards, proactive drainage improvements, accurate cost estimation by trained professionals, and consistent implementation of sound construction practices. When combined, these elements deliver multiple interconnected benefits: improved overall road performance, reduced need for costly repeated repairs, and more efficient use of limited public funds.

Moore concludes that every long-lasting road repair is the product of coordinated contributions from a diverse team of skilled professionals. While road users only ever see the finished patch, a wide range of experts work behind the scenes to plan, cost, design, supervise, and execute each repair. Recognizing the critical role each of these roles plays, he says, will build greater public understanding of the work required to maintain and expand Jamaica’s critical road network for future growth.