By Kurt Campbell
[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) now has access to live feed from the Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras across Georgetown (GT), according to Head of the Defense Board, Dr. Roger Luncheon.
Speaking at his post cabinet media briefing this morning (Wednesday, October 08), Dr. Luncheon said it is hoped that this will give a boost to investigations and prosecutions of events uncovered during the CCTV operations.
“Most recently the CID has succeeded in being linked and becoming a part of the network for receipt of CCTV footage,” he said.
He disclosed that there are some forty sites around the city; explaining that there should be 3-4 workable cameras at each site. Plans are also afoot to have another 10 sites added which should see some 40 more cameras being installed.
He explained that, periodically, some cameras are out of order as a result of accidents and vandalism but assured that a technical team has been established to ensure all cameras are maintained and workable at all times.
Dr. Luncheon said the Defense Board, at an August meeting, reviewed the state of affairs within the capital city regarding the CCTV cameras where it was recognized that there was need for further development of the system.
It was approved then, an increase in the number of sites and number of cameras that cover the main arteries in and out of Georgetown.
“Independently the Defense Board also commended the joint services for its collaboration in having live footage now being made available to the other joint services entities,” the Defence Board Head added.
All entities were previously provided with recorded footage when requested. Footage is being stored at the National Intelligence Center.
Luncheon said that recommendations were also made for the software intensification that will allow image to be heightened and also technical applications to be brought to bear on images recovered.
He later explained that such upgrades will see the installation of night vision among other technology.
The CCTV cameras were installed during the 2006 – 2011 Bharrat Jagdeo term in office. Persons have since questioned the effectiveness of the cameras in crime fighting and had particularly lamented the police’s hindered accessibility to footage recovered by the cameras.
there is only so much u can do with the security team u have..
majority security in your team pledged their allegiance to PNC…
most criminals are related to someone in police in army in politics…
a child father here and a child mother there in security..
remember the lady who was hired at the airport to pat down passengers?
She was found guilty of not doing her job and she told the magistrate she was hired to do “pat down” not to find anything under anyone clothing.
They are at our airport too…
U think these cameras will find those rogue police on the street who shaking down innocent motorists for their daily bribe?
Those who will be monitoring those cameras would be in cahoots with their criminal buddies splitting the loot at the end of the day not to see not to report not to record any wrong doing.
U guys are between a rock and a hard rock…t
here is no escaping for guyanese from criminality.
majority population say they are more afraid of POLICE than that of BANDITS.