Chang: Current JCF uniforms not designed for body cams

WESTERN BUREAU:

National Security and Peace Minister Dr Horace Changs says body cameras are being dangerously overestimated as a cure-all for Jamaica’s deep-rooted policing challenges.

“Bring me one research paper, just one, that shows cameras, by themselves, solve the problem,” said Chang, while speaking at a pipeline project in Montego Bay, St James, on Wednesday. “There are many other issues. Cameras don’t stop crime.”

The minister was speaking following backlash over his recent statement that members of the security forces will not wear body-worn cameras during operations involving armed criminals. Civil society groups have expressed concern about his stance, especially as it relates to accountability within the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

However, Chang is insisting that the debate is being oversimplified, arguing that crime fighting is far more complex than the deployment of recording devices, pointing instead to systemic weaknesses that require urgent attention, including training, leadership, discipline, and operational capacity.

“The current uniform was not designed with body cameras in mind. You cannot just add technology without rethinking the entire system,” the minister said.

According to Chang, while body cameras may provide evidentiary support and increase transparency, they cannot replace the fundamentals of good policing.

“Technology is important, yes, but it does not replace proper police work. You need intelligence, communication systems, and trained personnel who know how to manage a crime scene and conduct investigations,” he said.

“Culture is not changed by cameras,” he added. “We change it by training, by improving leadership, and by ensuring professionalism across the force.”

Chang also pointed to ongoing concerns about crime-scene management, suggesting that public confidence is eroded not just by the absence of cameras but by perceived weaknesses in investigative practices.

“You can’t fix poor investigation with a camera,” he argued. “If the system is not professionalised, if officers are not properly trained, the outcome will not change.

“Some people say ‘give them cameras’ because they don’t trust the police, but trust is not built by a device. It is built by conduct, accountability, and leadership,” he said.

Jamaica has faced persistent scrutiny over police-related fatalities, with watchdog groups and human rights advocates calling for greater oversight, but Chang is warning against misplaced expectations.

“You cannot design a police force around suspicion alone. You build it on standards, discipline, and responsibility,” he said.

He said that what is needed in the current crime fight is not gadgets but results.

“Our job is to find the criminals who are killing Jamaicans, get them off the streets, charge them, and ensure justice is done,” he said.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com