Minister with Responsibility for Crime Prevention Jeremiah Norbert said he approves of police officers wearing body cameras, telling reporters it will allow the public to have more confidence in the police.
“Naturally we are going to see that translating into the public having more confidence in the police because I think that is an issue,” Norbert said yesterday, prior to a House of Assembly meeting.
“If you are always being recorded there are no closed doors to worry about,” he stated, noting that “we are going to look into how we can implement something of that sort.”
Body cameras play a crucial role in police investigations and allows officers to review, articulate, and demonstrate evidence that officers would otherwise be without, as noted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
In 2024, ‘Caburn Telecom’, in an online article, pointed out that the use of police body cameras is seen as an important measure to reduce police misconduct and increase police accountability.
“Video evidence is essential in helping provide evidence for court proceedings, but also for police departments assessing police conduct, protecting citizens from police misconduct, and improving police training procedures,” ‘Caburn stated.
Furthermore, ‘Caburn’ added, body-worn cameras are used as a deterrent for anti-social behaviour and crime, in addition to a safeguarding measure to protect personnel against accusations of misconduct.
“These cameras have become commonplace in an array of industries, often being used in nightclubs, bars, hotels, the home care sector, and schools,” ‘Caburn’ noted.
The Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on June 14 revealed that several ranks from the Guyana Police Force are now trained to use fourth-generation body cameras.
“The body cameras will also assist officers in recalling facts and details captured by the equipment and accurately documenting a chain of events when writing reports. Furthermore, the cameras will help assess contacts between police officers and the public by reviewing procedures and interpersonal actions,” Guyana’s Police Headquarters said in a release.
“Over the next few weeks, more than 1200 body cameras will be distributed evenly across all police regional divisions, with continuous training sessions planned to ensure officer proficiency.
This initiative marks a significant move toward modernizing the Guyana Police Force and fostering trust and confidence within the community,” CBC reported.
Late last year, the Associated Press reported that a government agency in Jamaica found that security forces were not wearing body cameras when they fatally shot or injured more than 100 people in the Caribbean island in the first half of the year.
Only one body camera was worn during the 106 incidents – including 64 killings – reported from January to June involving Jamaica’s police and military, according to a report released by the Independent Commission of Investigations.