Cameron alleges political victimisation; Chang denies claims

Senior Superintendent of Police Wayne Cameron has accused National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang and Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake of harassment and political victimisation, according to an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.

Cameron made the claims in a grievance report filed on January 8, 2025, with the Office of the Services Commissions (OSC) – the human resources arm of the Government – and later attached it to an affidavit supporting his September 10 application for judicial review. The court application challenges Commissioner Blake’s attempt to remove him as chairman of the Police Officers’ Association (POA).

Chang has rejected the allegations, describing Cameron’s account as “dishonest” and accusing him of “lying through his teeth”. Blake has declined to comment, citing the matter’s status before the court.

The grievance report, which sheds new light on the spat between Cameron and Blake, and other correspondence between Cameron and the OSC are attached to the affidavit, which was obtained by The Sunday Gleaner.

Cameron had indicated on September 8, when Blake instructed that the post of POA chairman be vacated, that he had written to the OSC about “some concerns” regarding his boss, but gave no details.

In the report, Cameron claimed that at a meeting on December 20, 2023, Chang labelled him “a PNP” – a reference to the main opposition People’s National Party – accused him of being aligned with the opposition People’s National Party (PNP) and threatened to “use politics to fight me”.

Scolding

The meeting was attended by several senior police officers who “said nothing” about the minister’s utterance, Cameron claimed.

He claimed, too, that Chang was peeved about public comments he made days before the meeting and spent “more than an hour and a half chastising [and] scolding me” before warning that “if I want to fight it, [I should] go ahead and fight”.

The national security minister rejected this account when contacted by The Sunday Gleaner last Wednesday, and accused Cameron of “lying through his teeth”.

“The presentation is totally dishonest. Nothing in those comments reflects the kind of discussion I have when I meet with the Police Officers Association,” Chang said.

Cameron, who is represented by attorney Lemar Neale, dismissed Changs accusations yesterday.

“I’m not lying. I have witnessses to all the statements that were made,” Cameron told The Sunday Gleaner. “I don’t know that any officer in his rightful mind would tell a lie on a minister of national security.”

In his report to the OSC, Cameron also recounted a meeting he said he attended with Blake and another high-ranking police officer on June 5 last year after learning that he was not recommended for promotion.

Blake took office as police commissioner on May 19 last year.

“It is to be noted with significant concern that one of the first things the commissioner said to me on entering his office is that ‘I heard that you’re not with me’,” Cameron claimed in the report.

“The commissioner of police’s comment is very unfortunate, but this is a very clear indication that I cannot have further dialogue with him on my personal welfare as he does not believe I am supporting his tenure,” said the complaint, which sought the intervention of the OSC.

Senior Superintendent Dennis Brooks, who is part of the police communications unit, told The Sunday Gleaner that Blake “is not minded to speak to these matters before they are settled in court”.

“Unfortunately, the very detailed and specific questions that you have posed are the subject of legal proceedings and, as such, they are sub judice,” Brooks said last Wednesday via email.

Breach of police Staff Orders

Cameron indicated that in August 2023, he was among 10 senior superintendents promoted to assistant commissioner. However, 11 months and two weeks later, he was removed from the post of assistant commissioner, a move he believes was a breach of police Staff Orders and was “calculated” to bypass an OSC circular requiring permanent appointment after one year in a post.

Cameron charged that by December 2024, Blake gave instructions that he should be transferred from his post of commander of the Ports Division to administrative officer for the Police Area 5.

Cameron said he objected to the transfer, which would have placed him under a junior officer, and considered it a breach of police standard operating procedures. Despite his objection, the move was published in Force Orders without further consultation, he claimed.

“I have suffered occupational detriment; I have been victimised; harassed; being transferred against my will and refused promotion,” Cameron charged in the grievance report. “I have, therefore, formed the view that the minister indicating in opened [sic] meeting that he will ‘fight me with politics’ and labelled me a PNP has contributed to these vindictive events”.

Despite filing his grievance in January, Cameron said the OSC did not acknowledge receipt until March 14, one day after informing him that he was facing internal disciplinary charges related to an incident from November 24, 2020, at Beer Grillz Sports Bar in St Catherine. The case involved alleged breaches of COVID-19 restrictions under the Disaster Risk Management Act.

The OSC indicated that the Police Service Commission (PSC) had already reviewed his report and was “currently seeking legal advice”.

“A response by the Police Service Commission will be forwarded to you by the end of this month,” the OSC said in the March 14 letter.

There has been no communication from the OSC since then, Cameron asserted.

“I am of the view that the actions of the respondent [Blake] in preferring charges against me was motivated by spite and a retaliatory tactic in light of my grievance report against him,” he complained.

The OSC has not yet responded to questions submitted by The Sunday Gleaner on September 10. “Your request will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Access to Information (ATI) Act,” the OSC said in an email response on the same day the questions were submitted.

The ATI Act allows public bodies an initial 30-day window to respond to requests, which can be extended by another 30 days.

According to the affidavit, a legal opinion from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions – the country’s prosecutorial authority – concluded that there was no basis to file criminal charges against Cameron arising from the incident.

The November 24, 2020 incident at Beer Grillz Sports Bar, located on Port Henderson Road in St Catherine, related to enforcement of measures that were implemented under the Disaster Risk Management Act, the law used by the Government to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus at the time.

The March 13 letter from the OSC revealed that he was facing three misconduct charges.

The internal disciplinary chargers accused him of behaving in a manner “that did not extend any cooperation, respect and courtesy” to two constables executing their duties while on special patrol at the sports bar.

It alleged, too, that Cameron “created a conflict of interest” when he defended the owner of the business against the two constables, telling the two subordinates “mi fren nuh bruk no law” and “repeatedly shouted, ‘Get out of the man business place, Constable’”.

At another point during the incident, Cameron allegedly told the proprietor, “Yu nuh fi ansa no question from the constables or go no where wid them”.

Cameron has denied any wrongdoing, indicating too that the matter was “raised and ventilated” before the PSC, which is chaired by Professor Gordon Shirley.

Further, he said Circular 58, issued by the then police commissioner on May 8, 2017 stipulates that “no punishment will be approved where … the hearing commenced in more than 60 calendar days of the charges being laid”.

Cameron argues that Commissioner Blake does not have the legal authority to remove him as POA chairman, a role representing police officers from the rank of assistant superintendent to deputy commissioner.

On September 10, the Supreme Court granted an interim injunction halting Blake’s attempt to remove him from the position. Justice Natalie Hart Hines warned that breach of the injunction could result in imprisonment or seizure of assets. The order remains in effect until October 8, when the court is scheduled to hear arguments from both sides, and Cameron’s application for judicial review.

jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com livern.barrett@gleanerjm.com