Civil society groups deeply concerned about Chang's comments on body-worn cameras

A coalition of Jamaican civil society organisations and human rights activists are expressing deep concern over comments made by Minister of National Security and Peace, Dr Horace Chang, that police personnel will not be wearing body cameras on operations involving armed criminals.

The groups say the comments have heightened public anxiety, especially when combined with the ongoing and relentless attacks on civil society voices.

"We urge Dr Chang to exercise greater restraint in his public statements on matters that touch directly on constitutional rights and police accountability," the groups said in a joint statement on Friday.

The statement was issued by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition; Carol Narcisse, Civil Society and Human Rights Advocate; Equality for All Foundation; Jamaicans for Justice; Judith Wedderburn, Civil Society and Human Rights Advocate; National Integrity Action; Stand Up for Jamaica; Susan Goffe; and Wake Up Jamaica.

"We call on the Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Dr Andrew Holness, to immediately and publicly clarify whether the comments made by Dr Chang, on the deployment of body-worn cameras across the Jamaica Constabulary Force represent the official position of his administration — or whether they contradict it," they urged.

They further noted that Holness himself stated publicly, as recently as January 21, 2026, that BWCs (body-worn cameras) are not optional and that “the Government will provide the necessary budgetary support to ensure that all formations requiring BWCs are adequately equipped”.

They argued that Chang's remarks raise serious questions about whether that commitment is genuine or merely rhetorical.

"A Cabinet cannot hold two positions simultaneously, and the sustained silence from the Prime Minister's Office in the face of this apparent contradiction can only be interpreted as tacit endorsement — suggesting that the Deputy Prime Minister speaks for the entire Cabinet," they said.

The groups pointed out that Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) data confirm that 311 civilians were shot and killed by members of the security forces in 2025, a staggering 65 per cent increase over the previous year, with planned police operations responsible for nearly half of these fatalities.

While INDECOM continues to work diligently to investigate these incidents, the stark reality is that a significant number of fatal incidents lack any independent contemporaneous account from the officers involved, the groups said.

They continued, "While this in and of itself is not concerning, it becomes a serious accountability issue when citizens give accounts that differ from those of officers – including allegations of warrantless searches and CCTV cameras being pulled down. Since the start of 2026, 105 persons have already been shot and killed by members of the security forces to date, compared with 102 at the same period last year. This inevitably raises the urgent question: if 2025 saw the highest rate in close to 15 years, what will 2026 bring?"

Chang, speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference on Wednesday, argued that the police wearing body cameras on operations involving armed criminals would be impractical given the environment associated with a gun battle between cops and criminals.

But INDECOM has also pushed back against the statement, saying that characterising the use of body cameras in such settings as unreasonable or impractical is inconsistent with established international policing practices.

The civil society groups said they fully acknowledge that the police commissioner must guide operational decisions and that there may be specific tactical situations in which the appropriate utilisation of body cameras requires careful judgment.

However, they said it cannot simply be left to the Jamaica Constabulary Force alone to determine whether body cameras are used at all in planned operations.

"That is a clear policy position that must be set by the Government," the groups said.

"Jamaica is a constitutional democracy. Our supreme law – the Constitution of Jamaica – explicitly enshrines the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to life, liberty, security of the person, and protection from arbitrary or excessive use of force. Body-worn cameras are an internationally recognised, evidence-based tool that promotes police accountability, protects officers from false allegations, builds public trust, deters human rights violations, and provides the independent, real-time evidence that INDECOM so critically needs. Any policy that deliberately delays or rejects their full implementation raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to constitutional governance and the rule of law," the groups added.

They said failure of the Government to provide clarification on the matter will only deepen public mistrust and reinforce the perception that the Government places institutional protection above the constitutional rights of citizens.

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