Progress Being Made On Delayed CCTV Project
[Updated with video] The ‘back haul’ work on the new CCTV system, which was supposed to be operational on April 1st, will be finished before the end of May and will allow the final phase of expansion to be completed, Commissioner of Police Michael DeSilva said today.
The new system is due to consist of 150 cameras island-wide, using the latest technology to allow the police to do such analytics as facial and vehicle recognition and tracking. In February officials said it would be operational starting on April 1st.
In September 2013, National Security Minister Michael Dunkley announced that BAS/Serco was the selected vendor to provide the expansion of CCTV, with the 5-year contract costing $1.3 million per year. The service was previously provided by GET Securities Ltd.
Video courtesy of the Bermuda Police Service:
Speaking today, Commissioner DeSilva said, “After an unfortunate slow start to the CCTV expansion project, I can report today that significant progress has now been made.
“As a first step, the service provider is restoring service to the priority areas that were covered prior to 1st April. That work is substantially complete, with a handful of cameras left to install over the next few days.
“This means that coverage is resuming in the areas of: Friswell’s Hill, St. Monica’s Road, Parsons Road, North and South Roundabout, Barnes Corner and Paget Lights, and includes an expansion eastwards at Tee Street and South Road.
“Part of this system restoration includes 15 locations covered throughout the City of Hamilton, with cameras spread across the North, South, East and West quadrants.
“The service provider has obtained all the required Immigration approvals for their overseas expertise to arrive in Bermuda before the end of the month. These technicians will install the communications backbone of the CCTV project which is essentially a wireless network that will be carried over our local tower infrastructure.
“The “back haul” work, as it is termed, will be finished before the end of May and will allow the final phase of expansion to be completed, which is the installation of an array of 150 cameras island wide.
“While these developments do not represent the full CCTV project, and there is still much work to be done, there is definitely some comfort in returning to a similar level of coverage. We will look forward to further expansion of our capacity in the days and weeks ahead.”
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this job was given to the wrong firm.
In Min Dunkleys eyes, it was the “right firm”, it just so happens they can’t deliver on the contract. I wonder why the media in this country do not ask serious questions
BAS was finally able to buy the equipment to start this project by selling out their aviation division. They had closed out their Security division 6 months prior to this contract being awarded. Go figure.
Please put up some of these on the stretch by Southampton Rangers/Horeshore and Woody’s to help these idiots to actual use their brains before shooting.
This Police Chief should be outraged instead he sounds like his justifying the vendors lack of action. I hope there are more cameras in the hot spots and oh don’t forget to put cameras on Harbour road
I’m amazed at the amount of people that agree to be spied on in this world. The Government’s love their people’s support for their future New World Order plans . Watch Hollywood’s movies for their plans. We should use that money and plant fruit trees around the Island and grow more food before them ships stop coming. We need food and shelter to survive not camera’s.
I’ve read some silly comments on Bernews but this one takes the cake! Since when has anyone in Bermuda ever been subject to being “spied” on by CCTV cameras? Have the authorities here created dossiers on political dissidents (as they do in many dictatorships around the world) and sought to either remove or eliminate these persons based on evidence compiled by watching thousands of hours of CCTV camera footage. If so, please name just one such case?
The truth is that we have been subjected to violent crime, and serious crime on an unprecedented level, and we demand and expect the Police to catch the offenders, prosecute and convicted them, and put ‘em away, but so many people are reluctant witnesses, and even when they are we have smart lawyers who are paid to discredit eye witnesses so their clients can walk free and continue their criminal activities.
What CCTV cameras do is to act as the eyes and ears of law abiding citizens. The vast majority of recordings are never even checked, but if a serious crime is committed in a high crime area, and if a camera happens to record comings and goings around the crime scene at the time it was committed, then the Police at least have a chance of identifying potential suspects. If such a suspect denies even being in the area, but can be seen and clearly identified, then there is some chance of a prosecution and conviction. Defence lawyers have a hard time trying to defend the undefensive when a judge and jury can see the evidence for themselves in full colour!
This ain’t no ‘New World Order’. It’s using modern technology to keep us all safe.
On the other hand, I guess one could argue that criminals (and their defence lawyers) might argue that it’s unconstitutional to catch them red-handed.
what was wrong with G.E.T
They failed on their RFP bid which was based on a number of different items including technical and financial items. The RFP was open to everyone to bid, unfortunately for G.E.T they did not win. If the RFP had been based on past experience they would have surely lost as the G.E.T equipment was often out of commission.
good comment I know for sure that most all of the equipment from GET was out of commission throughout the contract.
He said that the work is now “substantially complete”. It’s 15 days late.
More fart talk from the authorities .