INDECOM urges use of body cameras in planned police operations, concerned about fatal shootings

The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) is pushing back against National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang, arguing that having cops outfitted with body-worn cameras during planned operations does not pose an operational risk and would instead provide an objective account of events.

Chang, speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference on Wednesday, stated that police will not be wearing body cameras on operations involving armed criminals, arguing that it would be impractical given the environment associated with a gun battle between cops and criminals.

But INDECOM is of the view that characterising the use of body cameras in such settings as unreasonable or impractical is inconsistent with established international policing practices.

"The commission has both the authority and the duty to speak publicly where misconceptions can threaten transparency, distort the evidentiary basis of investigations, or challenge the breadth of Jamaica’s oversight framework."

Further, it argues that the cameras are necessary given the level of fatal shootings by the security force.

The commission, in a release on Thursday, noted that in 2025 it investigated 311 fatal shootings of persons by members of the security forces, the highest figure recorded since 2010. That represented an increase of approximately 65 per cent over the previous year.

It added that the troubling trend has continued into 2026, with 105 persons shot and killed by members of the security forces to date, compared with 102 at the same period last year.

Planned police operations accounted for approximately 50 per cent of fatalities in 2025, INDECOM noted.

“These figures demonstrate that the necessity for the use of BWCs (body-worn cameras) is not abstract or academic. It goes directly to the preservation of life, public confidence, and the ability of independent authorities to properly determine the circumstances in which lethal force is used by representatives of the State.”

INDECOM stated that body-worn cameras are now a standard feature of modern policing across numerous jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia and Brazil, and are routinely used by officers engaged in firearm, tactical, and other high-risk operations.

“INDECOM’s position on BWCs has one central foundation: objective evidence.”

The commission stated that it does not presume that every police fatal shooting is unlawful, nor is it ideologically opposed to the lawful use of force by the security forces.

It added that its duty is to determine, independently and fairly, what occurred in each case and where no independent footage exists, investigators and courts are often left to assess life-and-death incidents based solely on conflicting verbal accounts.

“Families are denied clarity, officers are denied potentially exculpatory evidence, and public confidence is weakened,” the commission argued.

INDECOM pointed out that its 2025 Special Investigative Report on Planned Police Operations highlighted Jamaican scenarios where the use of body cameras during planned operations demonstrated no operational risk to the concerned officers but rather demanded additional transparency mechanisms.

“It noted examples of officers engaged in dialogues with suspects who were unrestrained with handcuffs and allegedly subsequently accessed a firearm, as well as contradictory accounts of witnesses. INDECOM maintains the view that advocating for police accountability in the use of BWCs carries no adverse consequences and does not reflect anti-police sentiments. Accountability and operational effectiveness are not opposites. Public trust is strengthened where lethal force is transparently documented and independently reviewed.”

INDECOM is charging that assertions that body-worn cameras create unacceptable operational risk are not supported by global experiences.

It noted that modern cameras are compact, durable, and specifically designed for frontline use.

“Police services worldwide have addressed issues of placement, activation, battery life, and tactical integration through policy, procurement, and training. These are management issues, not valid reasons to reject the technology altogether for deployment in certain circumstances. As the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) continues its procurement processes, BWC equipment suitable to Jamaica’s operational realities can and should be prioritised,” said the commission.

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