Over 1,000 Body-Worn Cameras to Be Acquired for the Jamaica Constabulary Force

Cabinet has approved the procurement of more than 1,000 body‑worn cameras for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (December 9).

Dr. Holness noted that this procurement is the first in a series, with additional body‑worn cameras to follow.

“Just to be clear to the public, there sometimes seems to be the view that you can go into a store [purchase] a camera and [attach it to] a police [officer’s] chest. These matters [in reality]… require an ecosystem to work. So it’s not just [about] cameras [but also] storage and archival [systems] for retrieval [which must] be up to a certain standard so that what is stored reaches evidentiary levels,” he explained.

“There has to be a system of how these cameras are maintained, should there be failure. Then there is the whole business of putting in place the fibre-optic connections, because where you download the footage is not where you’re going to store it. So it has to be transmitted, and you have to make sure that you have that connection. So, there’s a lot to be built out before you can deploy body-worn cameras,” the Prime Minister added.

He assured that the buildout is under way and that the JCF will be equipped with sufficient body‑worn cameras to ensure transparency and accountability in police‑citizen interactions.

On another matter, Dr. Holness stated that the JCF and Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) have mainstreamed and internalised human rights training, making it a core element of their doctrine and leadership culture.

“They do try, as far as they can, to protect lives, including the lives of criminals.
I hear a great deal of talk about the increase in the number of police killings, and I, too, have my own concerns about this because I don’t want it to ever be said that our police force is the most lethal. That’s not the kind of police force that we are trying to create,” he said.

“But I believe that… on the other side of the argument, we must also be concerned about the propensity of criminals to challenge the police. I don’t hear anyone saying, ‘why are these criminals shooting at the police?’ ‘Why when they are interdicted, they decide to challenge the police?’ As I have said, we have invested heavily in our police force to make them more effective, and the Jamaican State must never be at threat or at risk of criminals. If criminals challenge the State, they must not win,” Dr. Holness added.

The Prime Minister underscored that police officers must return safely to their families, noting that while concerns exist, systems have been implemented internally at the leadership level. He added that the Government continues to support the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) and its operations.

“We encourage the internal review and use of force policy in the JCF. When we meet in the National Security Council, these are matters that are discussed because we want our police force to, more than anything else, serve, protect and preserve life.

This is also a message to the criminals… don’t challenge the police,” Dr. Holness stated.