Dear Editor,

There have been a plethora of discussions relating to concerns of privacy surrounding the JamaicaEye surveillance cameras.

New cameras are due to be installed throughout the country and those not in operation fixed and restored. Is it legal for the Government of Jamaica to install and operationalise surveillance cameras to record the movements of people without passing the required laws to do so, laws which could possibly infringe on the rights of the Jamaican people, such as the right to privacy.

The Government, through the National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, needs to formally and immediately inform the citizens of this country whether those already installed and soon-to-be installed JamaicaEye cameras comply with the constitutional rights of the Jamaican people. What are the legal implications concerning its recording of people through a surveillance network and do they infringe on the rights of the Jamaican people?

Where will those Jamaican Eye cameras be installed and what will be the factors determining where they will be placed? Among the germane questions to be asked is: What safeguards will be put in place to protect the constitutional rights of our people and ensure that these important rights are not trampled upon in the name of crime fighting?

A prominent attorney-at-law asked these immensely important questions: “What do our existing laws say about surveillance equipment and its admissibility in Jamaican courts? Is such evidence plausible, or is it a slippery slope towards authoritarian oversight?” These are questions which must be answered.

Which level of law enforcement officials will have direct access to the footage so captured, stored, and recorded on the JamaicaEye network? Where will the main database be stored? How long will the recordings be kept?

If the use of the technology in Jamaica conforms with the laws then there should be no problem. However, if there are conflicts, there needs to be some answers provided by Prime Minister Holness.

Robert Dalley

opinionwriter300@aol.com