Police commissioner rejects 'lies' JCF delayed rollout of body-worn cameras

Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake says he may need to shed diplomacy to directly call out "lies" surrounding claims that the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has delayed the rollout of body-worn cameras.

“Many times I try to be diplomatic and kind,” he wrote recently to members of the force. "But colleagues, I probably need to be more direct when calling out lies.”

The latest response from the commissioner was contained in a recent column in the police Force Orders, according a statement from the JCF.

It said Blake wrote that he has been following discussions on the issue of police fatal shootings and body-worn cameras and "taking note of the several attempts of a few to create a false perception of the issues.”

“I am convinced that this is not misunderstanding, it is direct misleading," Blake said.

At the centre of the debate, according to the force, is the claim that the JCF stalled deployment of body-worn cameras because of unresolved infrastructure challenges. Blake said that assertion is no longer accurate.

He noted that the early phase of the programme focused on building “the infrastructure that was needed and is an integral prerequisite” and said “the infrastructure has now been in place since 2023.”

Blake said that in September last year he publicly explained that the JCF was “at the advanced stage of procuring 1,000 cameras,” which arrived “approximately 2 weeks after.” He said those cameras have since been deployed and that the JCF is now “in procurement for an additional 1,000 cameras.”

“Yet, persons continue to feed to the public the lies that we have said that we are awaiting the infrastructure,” he wrote.

The commissioner questioned the motive behind the continued criticism, arguing that it serves interests outside institutional reform.

“To continue to feed the diatribe of JCF’s resistance to body worn cameras helps to cement their relevance and hide their incompetence,” Blake said, adding that “they can expect no apologies for not calling a spade a shovel.”

He also addressed criticism linking recent crime-reduction outcomes to alleged unlawful police killings, rejecting what he described as an oversimplified framing.

Jamaica recorded 673 murders in 2025, the lowest in three decades, and the third consecutive year of homicides falling.

According to Blake, detractors attribute the gains “solely on unlawful killings, and not effective and sensible strategies.”

The commissioner urged public commentators to redirect their focus, calling for support in discouraging armed confrontations with police.

He appealed for voices to join the force in “appealing to the murderous thugs to not raise their weapons against the police when we have to confront them.”

The commissioner urged officers to “continue to do your work lawfully, courageously, and with the professionalism that defines the Jamaica Constabulary Force.”

The debate over body-worn cameras has been driven in part by sustained calls from oversight bodies and rights groups, particularly around their use in Planned Police Operations (PPOs).

Controversial incidents, including the fatal shooting of Jahmar Farquharson, 22, at his home in Clarendin last year, have also fueled some public calls for the use of body-worn cameras in special operations.

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has been among the most vocal proponents for the cameras be deployed and activated during PPOs. It has argued that PPOs account for a significant share of fatal encounters involving security forces.

Last week, rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) last week welcomed the JCF’s procurement of 1,000 body-worn cameras but questioned whether the devices would be activated during PPOs, including those involving Area Fugitive Apprehension Teams (AFATs).

JFJ cited INDECOM data showing 311 fatal shootings by security forces in 2025, the highest annual figure since 2010, with PPOs accounting for 51 per cent of fatalities in the first seven months of the year, up from 40 per cent in 2024.

AFATs accounted for 51 per cent of PPO deployments and 47 per cent of related fatalities.

The group said the “persistent absence or non-activation of body-worn cameras in these operations has been flagged as a critical gap,” referencing INDECOM’s October 2025 Special Investigative Report.

In 2024, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang said the “primary benefit” of body-worn cameras is the maintenance of public order such as its use in the apprehension of street vendors.

“It (a body-worn camera) is of very little value. You don’t need to be an expert to understand ... you put a camera on your chest, you start shooting at somebody, they start shooting at you, you going to dive for cover,” he said.

Earlier this month, INDECOM said the number of security force-related fatalities so far this year was "troubling". It has reported 22 fatal shootings up to January 20.

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.