Jamaica police body camera rollout faces fresh pressure after Granville fatal shooting

Pressure is building on the Government and the Jamaica Constabulary Force to accelerate the rollout of body-worn cameras, following the controversial police killing of a woman in Granville, St. James, one week ago. The issue was raised again on Wednesday at a policy round table convened by Jamaicans for Justice, where participants also called for the relevant policy documents to be made public.

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness, speaking last week at a police graduation ceremony, said the administration’s position had already been made clear. He said the Government’s policy is to fully introduce camera systems across the police force.

Despite repeated assurances over several years, only 1,600 body-worn cameras have so far been issued to police personnel island-wide. Advocates say that level of deployment is inadequate, particularly against the backdrop of 137 fatal police shootings since the start of the year, including 22 this month.

Mickel Jackson, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice, questioned why procurement commitments have moved so slowly. She said advocates were aware that a process was underway, but pointed to sectoral updates that repeated similar language, including references to 400 cameras deployed and 1,000 more to be procured, without clear evidence of sufficient progress.

The JCF has acknowledged the gap. Deputy Commissioner of Police Warren Clarke, who heads strategic operations, said camera coverage among operational personnel is now about 20 per cent. With roughly 8,000 officers involved in operations, he said the force expects deployment to reach about 80 per cent within three to four years, with the number of cameras projected to grow to around 6,000 by 2029. The most recent batch arrived in Jamaica in 2025.

INDECOM Commissioner Hugh Faulkner said the question is no longer whether body cameras are useful, compatible or suitable for policing. He argued that daily deployment should be concentrated where accountability risks and evidentiary needs are highest, especially on planned police operations.

Opposition spokesman on security Fitz Jackson also criticised the pace of procurement. He said Jamaica’s public purchasing rules allow urgent items to be acquired when necessary, and argued that if the Government treated body cameras as a priority, more devices would already be in officers’ hands.