Holness: You gonna get cameras so til you don’t know what to do with it
Published:Wednesday | May 7, 2025 | 12:10 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says Jamaicans can expect a flood of surveillance cameras as the Government ramps up its technology-driven approach to crime fighting.
Responding to repeated public questions about the JamaicaEye programme and failure of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to deploy body-worn cameras on planned operations, Holness said that not only are cameras being installed, but the scale and sophistication of the rollout will be unprecedented.
“So for all the people who are quick to retort, ‘Where are the cameras? Where are the cameras?’, you gonna get cameras so til you don’t know what to do with it. Then you gonna hear the complaint: we have too many cameras,” Holness said, adding that persons who are trained to monitor the cameras must understand the rules of privacy.
The prime minister made the comments on Tuesday at the commissioning ceremony for the Olympic Way JamaicaEye Monitoring Project at the Olympic Gardens Police Station in St Andrew.
He said that the Government is close to launching a centralised C5 command centre where surveillance from across the country will be monitored.
“So all the people talking ‘bout cameras and body-worn cameras, come on, man. The Government knows what it is doing. ... We are moving with speed and alacrity to have it installed, that our police officers have body-worn cameras, and as fast as possible we want to have those deployed. But we don’t want to have cameras that we put on and it doesn’t work,” he said, noting that the footage has to be captured and stored in a retrievable manner and be of high quality for evidentiary use and cannot be manipulated.
BUILDING ‘NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF SAFETY’
Holness framed the initiative as part of building a “national infrastructure of safety,” aiming to make streets safer, boost public confidence in communities, and strengthen the nation’s capacity to combat crime.
The Olympic Way CCTV expansion project saw 51 cameras being installed along the corridor to eliminate all blind spots.
“What we are doing is securing the public space. Recognising this, the Jamaica Constabulary Force identified this area as a priority zone for surveillance. Today, I am proud to say we have acted decisively,” Holness said.
“This is not just about the number of cameras. This is about the type and quality of surveillance we are deploying … . It is important to let the criminals know, we see you, we know you, we can find you, and we will reach out and touch you,” he added.
The prime minister highlighted the importance of using technology to overcome the limitations of human reporting in crime detection.
“CCTV is instrumental to reclaiming and securing these vital areas. It provides visibility where there was once vulnerability. It deters criminal activity by increasing the risk of being caught. It gives law enforcement a critical tool to respond quickly and to hold perpetrators to account but, more importantly, it provides evidence without having to rely on the human factor,” Holness said.
He noted that public areas – such as transport hubs, commercial districts, market spaces, and major roads like Olympic Way – are where citizens are most vulnerable.
“When fear drives away the public from public spaces, small businesses suffer, transportation stalls, and social trust is eroded,” Holness said.
Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay described the expanded JamaicaEye system as “the watchful eye that is always on the lookout for the safety and security of our citizens with cutting-edge technology and strategic placement”.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Warren Clarke emphasised how the system enables real-time monitoring and supports smarter deployment of police resources.
“Integration with JamaicaEye facilitates tracking and analysis of crime patterns, identifying hot spots so that we deploy our resources in a very effective manner,” Clarke said.
Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang announced plans to launch a similar command centre in Denham Town, Kingston, as part of the broader national rollout.
Earlier this year, The Gleaner reported on how this expanding network of surveillance infrastructure is already being deployed in several high-crime areas across Kingston, St Andrew, and St Catherine.