No need to fear privacy breach related to Jamaica Eye, says Project Manager

The managers of the anti-crime initiative, Jamaica Eye, are seeking to allay growing public concerns about possible invasion of privacy arising from the initiative.

Major Sheldon Bryan, Project Manager for Jamaica Eye, is also asserting that the data to be collected will be kept secure.

The programme involves the creation of a national closed circuit television (CCTV) system that will assist in crime fighting, public safety and disaster response.

The programme will use cameras installed by the government as well as CCTV feeds from private individuals who have a digital cameras covering public spaces.

Concern has arisen however about the control systems to be in place to ensure that the cameras will only be used in public spaces, and that the information garnered will be securely stored.

Major Bryan, while speaking Monday on RJR’s Beyond the Headlines, explained that the data will be sent over secure internet channels, with those interested in participating in the programme being taken through “a step-by-step (online) process for us to collect the necessary information required so that we can make the secure connection to the devices.”

Major Bryan has also sought to address questions surrounding the storage of the data and what level of accessibility will be made available to employees, saying the highest levels of precaution and accountability will be exercised.

“What we ensure is that persons accessing the system, we can tell what time they logged onto the system, what they accessed, how they accessed it, and ensure that they can’t download any video or move any video from the system without the authority,” he said.

He added that if anyone tries to breach those protocols “then there’s an alert that is sent to the commander of the centre…”