Public Safety Minister On CCTV Expansion Plans
[Updated with video] The new CCTV contract calls for an increase of three times the existing number of cameras and the upgraded equipment will provide features like vehicle license plate recognition and higher resolution images for use in investigations, Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley said today [Sept 26].
The enhanced system — which will cost $1.3 million a year — can also provide a platform for other enforcement uses to deal with speeding and traffic violations, the Minister said.
“This initiative is designed to provide maximum coverage for Bermuda and to improve the safety and security for all of us. This is a crime-fighting tool, not a ‘Big Brother’ intrusion into the lives of law-abiding people,” said Minister Dunkley.
“The Police cannot be everywhere and so the smart use of technology means more efficient management of police resources and a more cost-effective approach to policing.”
Minister Dunkley’s full statement follows below:
Good morning and thank you for coming.
The use of cameras in the fight against crime is not new but like most technology, there is always room for improvement. The demands of policing today make it necessary for law enforcement to have access to the best equipment and most practical technology.
This Government is determined to support the police in their role of keeping Bermuda safe. This includes the use of CCTV cameras both as deterrents to those who would commit crimes and as an investigative tool after a crime has been committed. The Police cannot be everywhere and so the smart use of technology means more efficient management of police resources and a more cost-effective approach to policing.
Let me provide the public with the background to this expansion to the CCTV network.
In October 2012, the Bermuda Police Service issued an RFP for an Island-wide CCTV system.
Following an extensive and detailed procurement process, a recommendation was made to Cabinet in July of 2013 and a decision made to award the contract for CCTV to BAS-Serco Ltd. This followed four years during which GET Securities Ltd. had provided cameras and monitoring of the existing system.
I wish to publicly state that Bermuda owes a debt of gratitude to GET Securities who stepped up in 2009 in an emergency situation when gang shootings were far more frequent and manpower within the Bermuda Police Service was stretched to capacity with response to and investigation of violent crime.
The recommendation made and approved by Cabinet was a business decision taking into account a number of factors and is not a reflection of the standard of work done by GET in the years since the network was first installed.
With this new contract, significantly wider coverage will be provided. The new contract calls for an increase of three times the existing number of cameras and the upgraded equipment will provide features like vehicle license plate recognition and higher resolution images for use in investigation and where necessary, prosecution.
The enhanced system can also provide a platform for other enforcement uses to deal with speeding and traffic violations.
The contract with BAS-Serco is for five (5) years at a cost of $1.3m per year. This sum is within the budgeted figure for this service and we expect that the people of Bermuda will see value for money in this invaluable crime-fighting tool.
Pending the preparation of BAS-Serco’s platform for the installation of the new network, GET Securities Ltd. will continue to provide CCTV service, including maintenance and repair as well as monitoring for the remainder of this fiscal year. It is anticipated that there will be no loss of coverage and the two companies are working together to ensure a seamless transition.
This initiative is designed to provide maximum coverage for Bermuda and to improve the safety and security for all of us. This is a crime-fighting tool, not a “Big Brother” intrusion into the lives of law-abiding people. Used effectively, we provide the Police with the opportunity to prevent and investigate crime and prosecutors an additional opportunity to secure sound convictions.
In closing, In the midst of all of this technology and the promotion of smart-policing, nothing takes the place of community involvement. These cameras cannot take the place of the strong Neighbourhood Watch Groups that are contributing to the safety of various communities.
I would also like to take this opportunity to urge the public to use the confidential CrimeStoppers hotline to provide information to law enforcement in a totally confidential way. “If you know something, say something”.
Thank you and I am happy to answer any questions.
-
Read More About
Category: All, Crime, News, Politics, technology
Comments (60)
Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed
Articles that link to this one:
- CCTV To Expand To 150 Cameras Island Wide | Bernews.com | February 13, 2014
- PLP On CCTV: “Nothing Short of Incompetent” | Bernews.com | April 16, 2014
Let me get this straight. The OBA took away the contract from a security company that very little experience in electronic security and gave the contract to a company that has no experience what so ever in electronic security? I Smell a rat big brother.
BAS Serco own CCS which is one of the biggest IT companies on the island.
Don’t let the facts get in the way though.
ccs provides telephone systems with some voip I would not realy call them an it company the former company was g.e.t. security hmmm
They are an IT firm. They laid the cable in the majority of all Hamilton offices from the beginning of the tech boom. CCTV is a IT based technology, so they would be well suited.
Just cause they laid the cable defiantly does not make them anywhere near “suited” for the job. They got the contract because of who the owners are. Just like how GET got it.
You are so clueless. Serco is a multinational corporation that designs, installs and maintains all sorts of government installations.
“No experience in electronic security”. It’s absolutely laughable how off base someone can be. Yet you post several times trying to suggest some sort of conspiracy.
Idiot.
So sandy bottom shut your stupid a@# !!!
how bout you shut your stupid a**!! You dont see you condemning the previous govenrment for giving it to GET or having friends and family either, not that this was the reason this time, it was cheaper, don’t be so hypocritical Robert ya dummy.
Island politics!
Some things never change. Pirates
You too fella.
Sandy are you aware who owns GET and the other company?
No, but I know that Serco is a worldwide company that does huge, complicated contracts for governments. GET is not.
Who owns them?
Ok, so I had a look at the board of directors and management of BAS. There’s nothing there. The better company was picked for the job. By far.
You have got to be joking with this statement. How could you say CCS is not an IT company? Do you even know what you are talking about? And to say they only provide telephone systems means you are definitely uninformed and lack the understanding of IT as a whole.
Another small business has to bite the proverbial bullet and defer to a bigger firm.
Bite the bullet? When was G.E.T get shut down, I thought they were still doing security for the courts and I thought all the bars hired G.E.T bouncers.
How could a small business handle a project that large?
Yeah this initiative is turning Bermuda into an authoritarian Police State.
So whats the solutions if you don’t want more CCTV
If Michael Dunkley has his way even more, soon there will be cameras in every home owners yard watching your every move. Heard the expression ‘give them an inch they’ll take a mile etc.
No. There won’t. This is just scaremongering and it’s ridiculous.
CCTV cameras were introduced under the PLP government. This is just an expansion which the PLP would have been doing anyway as discussed last year in the media. GET would have still been the provider though for obvious reasons.
one stupid statement.you got something to hide?
You need to have something to hide to want privacy and not become a police state? Now that’s a stupid statement.
This is just Dunkley’s way of making it seem like he’s actually doing something.
If this scares you don’t look up the new(probably not so new since its public now) drone targeting technology. They can put up a few drones and cover a 15 mile area (more drones more area) in high definition and watch real time or 5000 hours of recorded footage from altitudes where you can’t see them. Now that is scary. IMO I think drone technology should be done away with completely or be highly regulated, I’m leaning towards option A. Imagine a high profile drug dealer, never gets convicted but is know, walks out of a restaurant and get splattered by a 50.cal round…who dunnit? Now imagine its not a high profile drug dealer. No witnesses. Start digging your tunnels now, big brother is watching.
He is actually doing something.
No he isn’t.
Show me the evidence…………………….
Bawahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
good plan bring it on! If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear from CCTV.
Except my friend, you don’t get to choose what is illegal.
I don’t understand what this means…
Question is:
Why would you understand it?
Q
Huh?
I don’t understand what THAT means, either…
Question – do you understand anything you type or say or even think – just wondering
Concerned:
You are an idiot – - did you understand that, troll?
Q
Any chance that you’ll elaborate on your posts?
Or is it “Let’s Just Hurl Insults Around Day”?
Charter my friend, the Police don’t choose what is illegal either. They just enforce them. The laws of the land choose what is illegal and the Govt change the laws through pressure from the public which is you and me.
Typical
Great now cops can track their spouses/friends with the new night vision and plate recognition just like the NSA,and we pay for it.
another asinine statement
Is not asinine. It can happen. Wake up dumb down public
If anyone really believes these cameras will be Manned 24/7 you are living in wonderland!
ALL these cameras will do is MAYBE show and ID someone that committed a crime AFTER the fact.
THESE CAMERAS WILL NOT PROTECT ANYONE!
“ALL these cameras will do is MAYBE show and ID someone that committed a crime AFTER the fact.”
As if the police EVER do catch criminals BEFORE or DURING the act of crime. Then once the criminal is caught that is IF they are caught the evidence seems never to be efficient enough to make all charges stick so they end up getting a slight sentence that sees them out in a short time committing the same crimes. How does anything we have in place so far protect anyone? At least with cameras up everywhere the police can’t blame lack of witnesses for not being able to make an arrest & in turn judges & juries will not be able to doubt the footage they see because cameras do not twist the truth.
As for all the ganja blazers Tommy realises you’re worried about big brother seeing what you do but as long as you’re being discrete & not do it on the street you have no worries. Besides you shouldn’t be blazing around those who may be offended as this is common curtesy & you shouldn’t buy from street dealers because they are some of the ones who give this natural substance a bad name & deserve to get arrested. Respect others space & you’ll be alright since blazing herb does not cause any direct harm to others.
More cameras? Big brother is watching.
Since they can “see” license plates, I think a portion of these new cameras should be dedicated to curb the speeding and dangerous driving habits of some. Based on the numbers, remember that our roads claim more lives than guns on the island.
What’s all the moaning and groaning about, it is a simple question do we want a better grasp on the criminal activities going on or not. We travel all over to places like NYC and London for example, with no issues, think Big Bro is/will be here think again. In Lower Manhattan alone there are appx 5000 cameras, in London over 500,000. Do we need the extra “eyes” and the deterent factor the cameras provide, hell yes. It is what it is, the Bermuda that you grew up in is nooooooo longer and will never come back, all we have to do is keep trying to stem the NEGATIVE aspects of the inevitable changes…..
You are comparing big cities to small Bermuda? That’s retarded. NYC has an actual reason for needing all those cameras, we don’t. Having a lazy police “service” doesn’t count.
Don’t feed the TROLL
It is a shame that Bermuda has come to this state in such a short period of time. In just a few generations we have gone from not needing to lock our homes when we go out to having to lock the doors even when we are at home.
No problem with CCTV here. The more the better. The problem is paying for it. Fines should fit the crimes, starting with very heavy fines to cover the cost of these security needs to catch these people & put them in court. They, after all, are the ones using the services of the BPS & the courts. Therefore the criminals should be paying for these services. The honest people don’t use the services of the BPS, courts or prisons.
Perhaps the real story is that the contract is worth $1.3m annually or approximately $6m over the 5 years!!
If you want to follow the money, see who owns G.E.T. Security and who owns BAS / Serco.
This makes life more difficult for criminals and better for the rest of us. It’s great news.
no it doesnt and if its poorly maintained like it has been since the interduced it, good luck! and do you trust the people running it? now you can have a virual stalker and not know it! i think police prescence is more effective. legalize weed then you dont need these extra cameras. focus on the high traffic crack and dope area’s! then alot of the current crime rate will go down in these areas. plus gang wise BPS knows who they are! do something about it! bermuda wake the hell up. the facts are infront of you. great system bps
Nah. Criminals don’t like it. The rest of us like the idea.
And f you with your legalize weed s***. You’re part of the problem.
Well said , frends and family again
friends and family it is..
The reason given that BAS/Serco was half as expensive is untrue. The
government knows it and its all about how is in power.
GET backed the wrong government!
BAS Serco is a publicly traded company on the Bermuda stock exchange so in fact any person can own part of them. This project was procured through an RFP that went through multiple layers of government procurement approval, i just think the best side won and represents a worthwhile investment for the island!
biggest waste of taxpayers money. this is def gonna be like big brother. did you know the cctv’s rarely get looked after or recorded. its a pathetic system and has been for years. EG my bike was on reid st and got stolen between 10am and 1pm. in fornt of 3 cctv cameras, i called the police and got the answer that there rarely used and the dont record any of that data, in the end no bike and no clue what happened to it! obviously there a huge waste of time and my tax dollars. theres easier fixes than these stupid cameras, be more proactive bps the public always know more than you which is sad. plus sort your ranks out.
The point is that it will be different from now on. Next time your bike gets stolen the cameras will be working, the events will be recorded, and ithere will be a greater chance of catching the perp.
It’s better than sitting around with our thumbs up our asses “praying” for less crime.