BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH six murders rocking the Federation in January, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris recently announced that his Government would complete the installation of Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) in the first half of the year.
This has been a talking point since his Government took office, as it was disclosed that the former Administration had not fully implemented all of the cameras, and that some of those installed were non-operational.
Making an appearance on the Government’s radio program “Working for You”, PM Harris explained that the implementation would be done in targeted areas.
“The CCTV project that we are hoping to expand and to target the hot spots is a matter of priority and will be done during the first half of the year.”
In his 2015 Budget presentation in December 2014, then Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas had informed that during that year, his Government had installed 48 CCTV Cameras with another 100 expected to be in place in 2015 as Phase Two of the programme.
However, it is not clear if any cameras were installed in 2015 during the transition period of the new Administration, as Prime Minister Harris had informed at a media conference that his Government would have completed the installing of more cameras.
“The wish would be that cameras would be available, be monitored 24 hours a day and the intelligence would be preferred,” Dr. Harris said.
Additionally, he disclosed that new technologies would be available to the police to fight against the criminal activities occurring on the streets.
“We are bringing new and different technology to play. Some of the officers are being trained to competently utilise these things and once they are ready they are going to become public knowledge.”
He pointed out that during a recent meeting with members of the Police High Command, it was noted that the police must have a clear strategy and plan to fight the problem, adding that Government would provide all the resources necessary to execute that, which would certainly produce the desired results.
Just recently the Federation recorded its sixth homicide when the decomposing body of 28-year-old Javid Percival-Payne was discovered in an open area between Ogees Village and Stapleton Village in the St. Peter’s Parish.
The Prime Minister emphasised that his Administration would do all it could to stop the violence, including the training of officers and bringing the necessary expertise to assist them in stepping up the fight against crime in the Federation.
Currently, the Bramshill Advisors are assisting the Police Force in a number of areas and, in 2015, the Federal Bureau of Investigation had lent its expertise in the training of several officers.
