LETTER: The Caribbean must Prioritise Transparent Accountability in Policing

Dear Editor,

On September 29, 2025, a Guyanese newspaper reported that “starting today, all law enforcement officers assigned to Guyana’s ports of entry, including airports and border will be required to wear body cameras.” The news outlet reported further that ‘…this directive came from the Government of Guyana following an extortion allegation against police ranks at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA)…’ and also indicated that ‘[t]he Guyana Police Force (GPF) confirmed that CCTV footage and other evidence support the claim that ranks demanded money from a passenger to release her lawful items.’ 

Without question, this is a commendable step towards emphasising the Guyanese Government’s “zero-tolerance stance on corruption”, especially in policing contexts. Still, the application of such an important measure ought not be confined solely to ports of entry given the necessity of promoting greater transparency and accountability in all areas of policing. Indeed, citizen insecurity, which Professor Anthony Clayton says is produced and exacerbated by, among other things, “a lack of confidence in the police” and high incidences of extra-judicial killings, remains one of the greatest threats to sustainable development in the Caribbean. In light of this reality, policing that appears to deprioritise transparent accountability, as a central pillar of citizen engagement and trust-building, severely undermines efforts to engender the public confidence necessary to effectively curtail violent crime across the region. 

Body cameras can help to promote transparent accountability in policing by inspiring greater public trust in police officers, encourage heightened propriety on the part of police officers and members of the public as well as strengthen respect for the rule of law. This, in turn, can advance critical development imperatives by increasing investor confidence in the Caribbean’s social, political, and institutional architecture. In recent times, calls for police officers to be equipped with body cameras while on duty, have intensified following the controversial shooting of 22-year-old Jahmar Farquharson during a police raid in Jamaica. According to INDECOM, at the time of the raid, Mr. Farquharson was not the subject of the search warrant that authorised it. 

Moreover, in Caribbean countries, like Jamaica, where plans are reportedly underway to roll-out Facial Recognition Technologies (FRTs) for the purpose of optimising crime fighting strategies, the sheer importance of espousing an ethic of transparent accountability cannot be overstated. To be sure, given the unique practical and algorithmic challenges created by the deployment of such high-risk AI systems, especially in relation to the fundamental rights of vulnerable groups (including racial minorities, women, and children), nothing less than a commitment to transparent accountability by police officers in the discharge of their important functions will suffice.

Ultimately, it is hoped that police forces across the Caribbean will commit to tangibly demonstrating their espoused commitment to inspiring public trust in their respective mandates by upholding the rule of law, and promoting transparent accountability, fairness, and respect for fundamental rights in their operations. One concrete step towards affirming this commitment would be the timely implementation of a body camera mandate for police officers (especially those assigned to high-risk missions) along with a definitive timeline for its operationalisation.

Sincerely,

Amanda Janell DeAmor Quest

Commonwealth Caribbean Lawyer