Human rights lobby organisation Stand Up For Jamaica is expressing deep alarm at the sharp rise in police-involved fatalities in Jamaica in 2025 and at recurring reports that officers are not wearing active body-worn cameras (BWCs) during critical interventions.

According to recently published information from INDECOM, the independent body charged with investigating deaths and serious harm caused by state agents, 230 persons have already been fatally shot by the security forces so far this year. By the same date in 2024, the total was 131.

That represents an approximate 76 per cent increase year over year.

Moreover, September alone has seen at least 20 fatal shootings, marking the tenth consecutive month in which 20 or more persons have been killed in encounters with state agents.

These numbers are not just statistics. They speak to lives lost, families devastated, and deepening mistrust in institutions meant to protect public safety.

One of the most troubling patterns in the recent incidents is that no body-worn cameras were reported as active or in use during the critical moments of these interventions. INDECOM itself has noted that none of the officers involved in the recent killings were reported to have been wearing BWCs.

Independent commentary has underscored that this absence raises serious questions about transparency. As one commentator observed, if cameras had been worn, they might either corroborate lawful police conduct or expose misconduct, providing clarity and accountability for all parties.

In the case of the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Jamar Farquharson in Clarendon on September 15, media reports and CCTV footage show him opening his door with hands up. Yet, he was killed subsequently. Some observers note that surveillance cameras in the vicinity appear to have been disconnected during the incident, which heightens the concern that crucial evidence may have been suppressed or lost.

In a statement on Friday (September 26), the Carla Gullotta-led Stand Up For Jamaica maintained that body-worn cameras would be a benefit, not a hindrance, for the rank and file Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) personnel.

“We affirm the principle that BWCs are for protection and accountability for all, not only to guard against misconduct but also to shield officers and citizens from false or misrepresented claims. In other words: BWCs help safeguard officers by recording evidence that might justify lawful action,” the organisation said.

Body-worn cameras, it continued, protect citizens and the public interest by ensuring that the use of force is documented and scrutinised.

Stand Up for Jamaica argued that in a context of rising fatal shootings, reliance on unverified narratives undermines public confidence and institutional legitimacy.

“Given these imperatives, we call for the mandatory activation of BWCs during all police interventions, especially operations in which force may be used. Officers should not have discretion to disable or deactivate these cameras during interventions,” the group noted.

Stand Up for Jamaica also joins its voice to Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) in petitioning for legislation to mandate the JCF to use body-worn cameras (BWCs), requiring their mandatory use and deployment during planned and tactical operations.