Fifty-one high-definition closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed at critical corridors in Olympic Way, St. Andrew West Central, as the Government ramps up the use of technology to fight crime.

The cameras form part of the new JamaicaEye Monitoring Centre, which was officially launched by Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness, at the Olympic Gardens Police Station on Tuesday (May 6).

Dr Holness informed that the initiative was undertaken at a cost of more than $100 million, and the cameras were installed between April 2024 and February 2025. He said that the devices will serve as a crime deterrent by eliminating blind spots.

He said Olympic Gardens is a critical corridor in the St. Andrew South Police Division, serving as a connector between the commercial centres of Three Miles and the residential and industrial zones of Seaview Gardens, Tower Hill and Waterhouse.

He said the area hums with economic activity, pedestrian movement, and vibrant community life but it faces unique challenges, especially related to traffic safety, public order and crime.

“What we’re doing is not just about putting in cameras; what we are doing is securing the public space. Recognising this, the Jamaica Constabulary Force identified the area as a priority zone for surveillance, and today I am proud to say we have acted decisively,” the prime minister said.

“This is a smart investment in our people’s safety, and this is only the beginning,” Dr Holness added, noting that he will be allocating a further $5 million from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to install additional cameras in the area.

“You have the backbone now, you have the systems in place, so it’s just a matter of building out more cameras. So, on the off roads in Olympic Way that don’t have visibility, we are going to put cameras… so that the criminals have nowhere to hide, and when they think about committing an act in Olympic Way, they think twice,” he pointed out.

The prime minister said the Olympic Way project is the first “full-scale ground-up installation” under the JamaicaEye programme within the Corporate Area and will be replicated in other communities across the island.

Dr. Holness informed that the monitoring system at Olympic Gardens Police Station will be staffed by trained personnel, guided by principles of privacy.

The footage, he said, will also be accessible by police emergency control, ensuring improved coordination, faster response times and better outcomes when seconds matter.

“This level of real-time integration is what modern policing demands and we are equipping our officers not just with more tools but with the right tools,” he said.

Noting that JamaicaEye operates within strict parameters, Dr Holness said it is not a tool of surveillance over citizens privacy nor does it collect personal data like facial recognition or audio.

“We don’t store that; its cameras are aimed only at places that are defined as public places – the roadway, the sidewalk. It will cover the places where people have public access… and the information is stored and used according to the data protection laws that exist and with full respect for human rights,” he assured.

“We are not just putting up cameras, we are putting in systems of accountability so that the officers who will have access to monitor these things understand that there are consequences for them if they breach the fundamental privacy rights of the citizens of Jamaica,” he added.

Prime Minister Holness said the commissioning of the Olympic Gardens system represents a new chapter in the country’s crime-fighting efforts.

“We opened more than a control room; we opened a new chapter in how Jamaica fights crime, builds communities and protects lives. To the officers who will monitor these cameras, you carry a sacred duty; use this technology to serve, protect and uphold the law with integrity,” he urged.

Noting that JamaicaEye will be expanded, the Prime Minister informed that Cabinet has approved a strategic masterplan for the installation of 2,500 cameras across Jamaica over the next three years. Already, 500 of the devices have been earmarked for Portmore and Old Harbour in St Catherine and Port Antonio, Portland. “We are building out a national infrastructure of safety,” the Prime Minister said.