Cameras all over T&T.
By CLINT CHAN TACK (NEWSDAY).
Friday, November 16 2012
CABINET yesterday approved a major anti-crime initiative that will see the placement of hundreds of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in strategic locations throughout the country to increase surveillance and assist law enforcement agencies monitor and catch the nation’s criminals.
In making this announcement at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, National Security Minister Jack Warner said the first phase of this initiative will see 500 new CCTV cameras installed and activated alongside 389 existing cameras to provide surveillance coverage for Laventille, Morvant, Port-of-Spain and Tobago.
The 389 cameras were installed under the former PNM government in 2009 when TT hosted the Fifth Summit of the Americas and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
“These 500 cameras which will be installed almost immediately to take care of Port-of-Spain and environs, Laventille and Morvant and Tobago areas will cost the Government an average of $5 million per month...$60 million per year,” Warner told reporters.
He then indicated that other parts of the country will see additional cameras being placed in the remaining seven phases of this initiative. Expressing confidence the installation of new cameras will help to reduce crime in the target areas identified in phase one of the project, Warner said: “All the indices that we have received have suggested that they will produce positive results. We did some surveys and all of these were quite positive.”
On the overall need to urgently enhance security surveillance throughout the country, he told reporters: “I am sure all of you will agree that Trinidad and Tobago is not sufficiently covered by a surveillance network to assist law enforcement agencies address crime and criminal activity.”
Warner said it was against this background that Cabinet yesterday agreed that it was “critical and urgent that there be an expansion of this system.” Cabinet he said, approved phase one and two for the implementation of CCTV cameras by December 31. “You will see this is being done in time for the Christmas and Carnival seasons.”
Warner said apart from the first phase of the project, “Cabinet agreed that the project will continue but that it (the other seven phases) would continue through a request for proposals (RFP) policy to engage a selective bidding process with local providers.” He stated, “This first phase is being done on sole selective basis through re-negotiation with TSTT based on an existing contract which we have with TSTT.”
Besides the installation of 500 new cameras, Warner said phase one of the new initiative will also have “the establishment of common police command centres throughout TT.” Explaining that one centre shall be established in each of the nine police jurisdictions in the country, Warner indicated all will feed into “a central command centre.”
“These command centres shall be staffed, managed and have response teams in them, worked by police and civilian officials,” he added. The nine police jurisdictions are: Northern, North-Eastern, Southern, South-Western, Eastern, Central, Port-of-Spain, Western and Tobago.
Warner also said a CCTV operations centre will be established in Trinidad and another in Tobago, “as a matter of urgency.”
“Side by side with this. We shall also have rapid response teams. We have also put out tenders for police vehicles,” he disclosed. Warner further revealed his ministry is working with the Transport Ministry to develop, “an electronic vehicle identification system”, which will also be invaluable in curbing crime and lawlessness.
Warner said his ministry is also “in the process of discussing with the Police Social and Welfare Division new uniforms for the police, hopefully effective from January 1.” Plans to enhance CCTV surveillance throughout the country were being undertaken by Warner’s immediate predecessor Brigadier John Sandy, prior to the Cabinet reshuffle of June 22, when Warner replaced Sandy as National Security Minister. Warner also said he expects surveillance bays installed along the nation’s major highways to be fully operational by year’s end.