[Sdi-latinamericacaribbean] Jamaica wants to track offenders, but not provide its maps

[Vijay Datadin]

http://caribbean-gis.blogspot.com/2008/01/we-will-track-you-maybe.html
We will track you ... maybe

As mentioned in the SDI-LAC mailing list (3 Jan 2008), the Jamaica Observer 
reports that Jamaica wants to track criminal offenders, but will not provide 
its digital maps to the private contractor they've hired to build the 
tracking system. "Absolutely not" is what the Ministry of National Security 
has said to the request for maps.

There may be more to the story than meets the eye, as the total price tag is 
some US$750,000, the contract was awarded by a previous government 
administration and the contractor is a Jamaican company, but headquartered 
in California; with a website registered less than two months ago (Nov 5, 
2007) and obviously put up in a hurry (if the developer/owner reads this, 
the first link on the home page is broken and your pages don't have Titles - 
not a professional job at all). The company doesn't seem to have any 
particular expertise in GIS, just classic accounting/financial/networking, 
and no visible previous customers of their tracking system.

Whilst I'm encouraged by the effort to make wider use of GIS technology in 
Jamaica, this issue also raises the ghost of data-sharing past/ present ... 
and so far the future, of the Caribbean.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20071227T210000-0500_130770_OBS_DISPUTE_OVER_DIGITAL_MAPS_STALLS_ELECTRONIC_MONITORING_SYSTEM_FOR_CONVICTS.asp