The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE police’s new CCTV system will become fully operational by next month, Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell said yesterday.

During the budget denate in the Senate yesterday, Mr Bell said by July, all 243 cameras will be deployed at various locations throughout the islands of New Providence – phase one of the $4.6 million project.

“As we meet, some 206 cameras have already been installed at 83 locations throughout the island. Of these, 75 are now transmitting video streams back to the CCTV Command and Control Centre.

As transmission issues with the BTC network are resolved, it is expected that by the end of July 2013 all of these cameras, and the remaining 37 cameras will be deployed and fully operational.

Commencing next week, staff that have been identified by the Commissioner of Police as most suitable for assignment to be in the Command and Control Centre will be trained in the operation, monitoring and retrieval of video data which will significantly impact upon the operations of the police, he said.

“The staff will have at their disposal some of the latest technologically advanced equipment and software that is available. These additional ‘eyes’ will give the police the capacity to view events in the locations where cameras are deployed, to not only respond to crime, but more importantly, to sense when something wrong may be developing so that the necessary assets can be deployed to that area to prevent an incident from happening.

“Further, the 243 cameras will provide strong visual evidence to support when a crime or other breach has been committed, and to give the police another important resource to help with the successful prosecution of cases.”

Mr Bell said the deployment of the 243 cameras in key locations in the downtown area of New Providence and other areas that have been defined as hot-spots, is only Phase 1 of the project.

He said in the 2013/2014 budget, additional funding will be provided for the deployment of additional cameras on the island of New Providence as part of Phase II of this initiative.