Commissioner of Police Dr. Kevin Blake says he is in full support of the introduction of body-worn cameras in the kit of police officers, stating that such implementation will not be met with resistance by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), but with enthusiasm.

Blake declared his approval of such measures while on tour of several police stations in the western-end of the island on Friday, August 2.

“My officers welcome it (the wearing of body cameras) with open arms because they understand it,” Blake said. “We have smart officers…highly educated, well trained, highly skilled, and so, this argument about the accountability that persons may be shying away from, let me dispel that and assure the members of the public that that is not the case.”

The Commissioner’s support for body-worn cameras by members of the JCF may come as a surprise to many, with the general public appearing to have believed that members of the JCF would not be in favour of body cameras, with their introduction making them more accountable.

However, Blake said body-worn cameras present an opportunity for police officers to more easily clear their names when accused of wrongdoing.

“Our officers are fully aware that the same body-worn cameras, at times, stand a very good chance of exonerating them when there are certain allegations against them,” noted the police commissioner.

Blake, a University of the West Indies graduate with a master of science in computer-based management information systems and a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics, was appointed to the post of police commissioner in mid-March of this year.

He is said to be the harbinger of a new age for the Jamaica Constabulary Force, one that encourages and makes use of technology on a scale not yet seen in the organization.

According to Dr Blake, the JCF has been working for the past three years to build up the necessary technology base to enable and support the full-scale introduction of body cameras.

He emphasized that until such capabilities were built up, it was impossible to successfully make the cameras a mainstay of the police force. However, now that such work is complete, the next phase of the project could begin in earnest.

“We have been building out that infrastructure, strengthening our infrastructure, our data centre,
ensuring that our network communications are adequate so that we can properly manage the products
from these body-worn cameras,” the commissioner explained. “Now that we have completed that, the
next part of the project is to actually procure body-worn cameras and pin them on to our members.”

The implementation of body-worn cameras has received major support from the Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM). INDECOM’s current commissioner, Hugh Faulkner, has gone on record, placing high hopes in Dr. Blake, claiming that he has the necessary experience, training, and expertise to make body-worn cameras a mainstay of the JCF.

In a statement made in March, Faulkner said that the issue of body cameras was an ongoing topic of discussion between INDECOM and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

During its first quarter report, which was brought before the parliament, the Independent Commission of Investigations stressed the importance of body-worn cameras, demanding funding and procurement of such items for usage by police during their operations.