JamaicaEye smart CCTV deployed by Jamaican Ministry of National Security
Information Certainty: Documented
Deployment Purpose: Criminal investigations, Crowd management, Traffic Surveillance
| Summary |
|---|
| JamaicaEye is a network of public and private cameras in Jamaica which is managed by the Jamaican National Security Ministry and monitored by the Jamaican Constabulary Force (police). Any citizen or business can apply to have their own cameras feed networked and monitored, and may receive an alert when unusual activity is detected. The police have detailed that they use the cameras for criminal investigations and traffic monitoring. In 2018, the Jamaican Observer reported that the feeds are run through video analytics software including facial recognition, license plate recognition, geofencing and crowd counting. However these features are not outlined on the JamaicaEye website. |
Products and Institutions:
| Product Deployed | Unknown Products 0089 |
|---|---|
| Institutions ⠉ | |
| Datasets | Unknown Dataset 0140 |
| Search software |
Status and Events:
| Status | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Events | Start (18 April 2018, Documented, ?, No description) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
| Involved Entities | |
|---|---|
| Managed by | Jamaica Constabulary Force Jamaican Ministry of National Security |
| Used by | Jamaica Constabulary Force Jamaican Ministry of National Security |
Location:
| City | Kingston (JM) Montego Bay (JM) |
|---|---|
| Country ⠉ | Jamaica Jamaica |
Description[ ]
Since 2018, the Jamaican Ministry of National Defence has been in the process of developing a network of cameras. The network is termed JamaicaEye. Some cameras are installed by the state in public places, but there is also the option for private businesses and persons to share their feeds with the network. It is unclear whether facial recognition or other technologies are at play but it is rumoured to be so.
JamaicaEye is part of an islandwide network of camera surveillance systems designed to increase the safety of all citizens. These cameras will monitor public spaces across the island and assist the authorities in responding to incidents in the event of an incident, disaster, act of criminality or accident. If you have a camera system outside your home or office, facing a public space you may help by registering your camera with JamaicaEye to share your camera feed 3
Your camera feed will be added to a network of camera streams received from across the island, predominantly monitored by software programmed to identify threats to public safety. You may be notified if a feed from your camera identifies a threat to public safety 3
Registered private citizens are able to share footage from their cameras with the authorities free of cost. The system is monitored by trained, technical members from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). Senior Director of the Major Technology Transformation Branch at the Ministry, Arvel Grant, tells JIS News that JamaicaEye is being effectively utilised by the police.“Right across the island where those cameras are, members of the JCF are leveraging those cameras in their investigations and to provide evidence for matters that are going to court,” he notes. He says that the programme is also aiding the police in its traffic management activities along thoroughfares across the island.“The system is used every day in managing traffic around towns, having awareness of what’s happening in and around the major roadways and being able to deploy officers to help manage and control the flow of traffic. It has also been used to identify vehicles that were involved in accidents,” he indicates. Mr. Grant tells JIS News that since the launch of the initiative, the Ministry has increased the number of cameras that are a part of the system. “The number of cameras connected to the system has more than tripled to 605 up from the 180 cameras in 2018, and in the next few weeks we’ll have 100 more government cameras connected to the system,” he informs 1
The Jamaica Observer reported that the system would use video analytics and facial recognition:
Integrated private and public video feeds channelled into JamaicaEye will pass through a video analytic suite and be filtered through software that will allow for facial recognition, license plate readings, geofencing and crowd counting, among other features 4
References
- a b "JamaicaEye Assisting Crime Fighting – Jamaica Information Service". (2021) <https://jis.gov.jm/features/jamaicaeye-assisting-crime-fighting/> Accessed: 2022-11-24
- ^ "A CRIMINAL’S NIGHTMARE - Cops reaping success from Chinese high-tech surveillance system in MoBay". (2020) <https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200713/criminals-nightmare-cops-reaping-success-chinese-high-tech> Accessed: 2022-11-24
- a b c "JamaicaEye Homepage". (2022) <https://jamaicaeye.gov.jm/> Accessed: 2022-11-24
- a b "JamaicaEye gets strong support from private sector". (2018) <https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/jamaicaeye-gets-strong-support-from-private-sector/> Accessed: 2022-11-24