Jamaican authorities have confirmed that it is illegal for police officers to demand phone passwords without a court order, following mounting public complaints.
At a May 7 Post-Cabinet Press Briefing, Police Commissioner Kevin Blake and National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang responded to growing outrage, as scores of citizens took to social media to report being coerced and ticketed — including for factory-installed vehicle lights. One reporter raised the issue directly during the briefing, prompting candid responses from both officials.
Dr. Chang acknowledged the issue of police requesting phone access without proper legal authority. “It’s wrong, but something that police have… to do because scamming is what is causing our problems,” he said, seemingly justifying the practice as a response to Jamaica’s ongoing battle against lottery scamming and cybercrime.
However, Commissioner Blake offered a clear legal correction. “There’s a process, and the process is certainly not coercing someone on the scene to give up their password,” he stated. “A court order has to be made. It’s not right, it’s not legal — let me just say that clearly.” He added that the JCF has since issued internal communications reminding officers of the proper procedures for accessing private digital information.
Also addressed at the briefing were complaints from motorists about being ticketed for using daylight running lights and fog lamps — features that often come standard in modern vehicles. “These are lights that came with the vehicle and not necessarily placed on the vehicle,” Blake explained. “We’ve sent out communication to our members to desist from doing that. It’s something we need to look at. It’s unfair to the motorists.”
The statements from the Post-Cabinet briefing come amid growing public frustration and calls for increased oversight of the JCF. Jamaicans have expressed concerns about privacy violations and the misuse of traffic laws, urging the JCF to hold its officers more accountable for their actions.
