ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Minister of National Security Dr Horace Chang says a significant number of cameras on the JamaicaEye surveillance network are down.

Dr Chang, while responding to a question posed by Observer Online at a town hall meeting in New Market, St Elizabeth on Wednesday, explained that there is a technical problem with maintaining the system.

“The reality is that maintenance is a problem. Since we have gone digital with the telecommunications system, nobody in the country has an effective islandwide technology maintenance system. Cable and Wireless used to have technicians across the island. A wire breaks they fix it same time. There is no national body with a full maintenance programme… there are a significant number of cameras that are down…” he said.

Dr Horace Chang speaking at a town hall in New Market, St Elizabeth on Wednesday. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

He said the Government is far advanced in outsourcing the maintenance service from a local company for 1,000 cameras now on the JamaicaEye network.

“We have to overcome the maintenance problem. We have just about 1,000 cameras, Santa Cruz is one that has a good layout. Mandeville has a fair number, but in fact Santa Cruz has one of the best [with] 75 cameras, but most of them are not working,” he explained.

“We are negotiating with a new company, a Jamaican company which is willing to go in and establish the system and we should be ready to rollout in this [financial] year,” he added.

Dr Chang’s response follows a Television Jamaica report with citizens in Santa Cruz expressing concern over malfunctioning cameras after Shamar Bryan, 28, a vendor from St Catherine died from  stab wounds in the southern-central town. He reportedly died in the vicinity of a JamaicaEye camera that is not working.

A JamaicaEye camera in the vicinity of where Shamar Bryan died in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Police told Observer Online that a suspect is being pursued in relation to the stabbing incident.

Chang said only “one company has shown the ability to set up the operation required” to do the maintenance of the cameras.

“Bear in mind it is a major procurement issue. We have to get a company that can do the islandwide [maintenance], buy the bucket trucks that can draw the cables as well as the equipment to do underground [maintenance] with trained technicians,” the minister said.

Two years ago the Observer reported that cameras installed in Santa Cruz were to be connected to the JamaicaEye network following complaints from locals.

READ: Santa Cruz CCTV cameras to be connected to JamaicaEye following Observer story

— Kasey Williams