KINGSTON, Jamaica—In another swipe at civil society groups with whom he has had a combative relationship, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has stated that no such organisation can instruct the police.

He made the remark Tuesday afternoon as he opened the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House.

Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister, has often pushed back at calls from such groups, including Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ), for the police to wear body cameras, in particular when they are on planned operations.

JFJ repeatedly made the call last year against the background of a sharp rise in fatal police shootings; at the same time, the country saw a sharp decline in murders.

Chang told the House that body-worn cameras have been purchased for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and have been deployed.

“But deployment is decided by the commissioner of police,” he remarked.

“Body-worn cameras are part of modern police equipment, and the only person who has the authority and the professional capacity to instruct where they should go is the commissioner of police and his team,” Chang added.

Continuing, he said, “No civil society organisation can tell us where to put them. That was what was damaging the police for years. Everybody like cowboy policing and ‘donmanship’ and tell police where to go police.”

The security minister noted that cameras are good for transparency and accountability.

“We will continue to acquire them; we have another 1,000 on order, and the police will be provided with the equipment,” he said.

“But let me make it plain; the police force, my job is oversight and providing equipment. [The] society holds them accountable, they do policing, and we have an excellent commissioner of police”.

Regarding the Jamaica Eye Programme, Chang said the camera network is being expanded with a goal of reaching 3,000 cameras by the 2028 budget year.

—Lynford Simpson