The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) has again raised concerns over the number of people being shot and killed by the security forces in instances where body-worn cameras are not activated or not worn.

These incidents include dozens of planned police operations where persons end up dead and there is no recording of the alleged shoot-out or confrontation that led to their demise.

INDECOM’s Assistant Commissioner Hamish Campbell raised the issue during a press conference on Friday where it was announced that 149 people were shot and killed by the security forces this year and another 66 shot and injured.

Campbell outlined that of the 252 fatal and non-fatal shooting incidents in 2023 “it is a remarkable feature that not a single one involved the deployment of a working body-worn camera.

“One camera was deployed in a fatal shooting incident but the officer failed to turn it on…that matter has been reported to the commissioner of police [Dr Kevin Blake] and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF),” Campbell said.

The assistant commissioner noted that officers have cited that they are either not trained in the use of the body-worn camera despite wearing them, the station is not equipped with body-worn cameras, or that the issuing officer responsible was not present on the occasion to deliver the cameras.

“INDECOM strongly asserts that the body-worn camera will enhance the evidence-gathering processes, allay the continuing public concerns of alleged abuses of the security forces, and support traffic enforcement,” Campbell remarked.

He told the press conference that so far this year, four body-worn cameras were affixed to officers where they were engaged in non-fatal shooting incidents. Significantly, in three of those incidents the cameras were not turned on. On the fourth occasion, the officer turned the camera on after the shooting “so we see a post-event matter where an injured person has been shot by the police,” said Campbell.

“Those matters are also to be reported the commissioner of police,” he said.

Campbell pointed out that while cameras are deployed in certain circumstances, “there seems to be a pattern where they’re not activated”.

And, he said that as of October 31, the number of people killed in planned police operations stood at 58 from 50 operations representing 40 per cent of those killed so far this year.

Campbell emphasised that these people died in planned police operations “where these specialised teams are entering properties, yards, premises and the person is ending up dead”.

“In not one of those planned operations was body-worn cameras deployed,” he added.