The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe revealed that the government has been paying $7,000 per month for COVID-19 tracking devices that have never been used.

He said the Davis administration believes the devices, brought in by the Minnis administration, are useful and will be deployed to help track people who should be in quarantine.

 He said the contract for the product expires in March.

 “So during this COVID emergency, the Bahamian people have so far paid about $70,000 to track persons who ought to be in quarantine without it being deployed at all,” he told reporters during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

 Initially, the Minnis administration planned to monitor people in quarantine using digital technology provided by Hubbcat Solution. It was expected that the software would be installed on a person’s phone, enabling tracking services.

 “Hubbcat,” Mr Munroe said, “was the beginning model with apps on your phone but all one needs to know is that I have three cell phones and I can let you put the app on any one of them and when you call me someone just needs to answer my phone.

 “That was abandoned in exchange for what is in effect a tagging system where there would be a little tag, almost like what you see the hotels put on the individual. There would be a base set and if the tag moved out of the base set it would be an alarm and the person would be geotagged to an area in which they were to quarantine. It seems to be a useful product. The Minister of Health Dr Darville is keen on using it and we expect shortly to at least roll out and use the 100 units that we pay seven thousand some amount for. The past administration was spending public funds for a product that was designed to track people and ensure that they stay in quarantine and they chose not to use it for whatever reason.”

 Mr Munroe also said he is still investigating his predecessor’s acquisition of drone technology. The Minnis administration had signed a $17m contract with California-based Swift Systems.

 “This drone programme, we have paid out a lot, a lot of money. We haven’t gotten much product in exchange for that vast payment and we are currently investigating to get to the bottom of what has happened,” Mr Munroe said.

 Mr Munroe also said more CCTV is needed on New Providence.

 “Generally, my disposition is that CCTV coverage of New Providence is not wide enough, that we need to improve and expand the coverage of CCTV in New Providence,” he said. “I am told by the member of Parliament for Centreville where (a recent) shooting took place that people are refusing to make available to the police their private CCTV material and that only brings home that public CCTV is necessary, particularly in spots where they would be useful in identifying perpetrators of crime. So true to the mandate, I will be approaching The Bahamas government to expand these resources of the Royal Bahama Police Force so that they may properly do their jobs.”