J’can advised to install high-quality surveillance cameras

Security expert Jason McKay is advising Jamaicans invest in the installation of higher-quality surveillance cameras and to be more strategic in their placements.

McKay, CEO of McKay Security, said that surveillance cameras are extremely useful in deterring, and helping the police to solve, crimes. He, however, said that the majority of footage captured via surveillance cameras are not always of a high quality.

"The standard for evidential prosecution in this country is significant. The evidence has to be at a certain level, and that also goes with the type of camera quality and footage. If I have seen a thousand video footage in my life, I would have seen about two that could have been entered in the Jamaican judicial system and actually have an impact.

"Some of them are very good at getting off accused people, because it may show somebody who is short, and the statement says the person is tall," McKay said.

EXTREMELY USEFUL

He was quick to state that installing cameras on homes and business places is extremely useful. McKay acknowledged that some persons, given recent events, may be concerned about embracing the technology out of fear of being labelled as informers. Last week, seven men were shot, three fatally, as they installed surveillance cameras at a supermarket in Logwood, Hanover. And last November, a technician who reportedly disobeyed the directive of gangsters in his community to disconnect his home security camera system in the White Lane area of Naggo Head in Portmore, St Catherine.

For McKay, the vast majority of Jamaicans are against criminals. He said that people should not be deterred in their attempts to secure their lives and properties.

"The gangster may have that opinion that anybody who puts up a camera is an informer, but they by no means represent a large portion of the community. They are insignificantly less than one per cent of the community," he said.

ADDITIONAL SECURITY

The security expert said that the installation of surveillance cameras has its benefits, but will not offer the same security as manpower.

"Any form of additional security is better than no security, but cameras do not replace manpower," said McKay, while cautioning persons not to believe that they have "real security" because they have installed a camera.

"It is a preventative tool, but it is not going to stop an attack. It may assist you if you see the surveillance before an attack, and you can do something to prevent it," said the expert, while noting that the wearing of head and facial coverings as well as the placements of the cameras affect the usefulness of the technology.

"It is very easy to wear a mask and a hoodie and the camera becomes useless; and most cameras are high, so people cannot vandalise it. This means you will get a very good picture of persons bald spot, but you don't get a picture of their face, which doesn't serve much use for evidential purposes," McKay said.