Urgent need to deploy body-cams

THE EDITOR, Madam:

This is an open letter to Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding.

I am writing with reference to the article, “INDECOM rings body-cam alarm again as police killings spike by 111 per cent,” published in The Gleaner on August 7.

It is time to exercise transparency and accountability. A new administration is in place, and there should be a new beginning. The Jamaica Labour Party has won a third consecutive general election. So, It is time for unity for the good of the people of Jamaica and the love of the country.

Dr Andrew Holness and the leader of the opposition party, Mark Golding, should set a definite timeframe and make it public, when the completion of the installation of body-worn cameras on police officers will be finished.

In the United States, while the federal laws (government) does not mandate body cameras for local police, a number of states have passed their own laws, which can differ widely. Therefore, the people of Jamaica really want to know when the completion of the installation of body-worn cameras on police officers will be finished.

Also the UK government does not broadly mandate body cameras, but they have made them compulsory for specific roles like bailiffs and prison officers, and they are widely used by the police, traffic officers and other public service staff as a way to enhance safety and gather evidence, all under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 regulations.

The reasons police wear body cameras are: transparency and accountability, evidence collection, reduced misconduct and use of force, officer training, improved public trust, and aide-mémoire. These devices record audio and video during interactions with the public, which can help clarify events, speed up the resolution of disputes, provide crucial evidence in investigations, and assist with officer training and evaluation.

Aide-mémoire: Cameras help officers remember the details of encounters, especially when they are required to submit detailed written reports.

Thus, the new administration should take action.

CARGILL KELLY