Above: St John’s, Antigua (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The government of Antigua and Barbuda is set to unveil a new project that will install 110 CCTV cameras and sensors in the city of St John’s.

The project, which is being done in partnership with Digicel, is being undertaken at a cost of around $2.5 million. It is slated for completion by the end of next month, with the second phase set for completion by the end of July.

Digicel is implementing the project alongside Security Centres International and the Avrio RMS Group.

The majority of the cameras will be installed on city light poles. The cameras are “capable of zooming in on facial details from hundreds of yards away even with limited lighting,” the government said.

“Security is critical to the development of Antigua and barbuda  and the security of our people,” said Antigua Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer. “The government is demonstrating how determined and committed we are in doing everything that is possible in ensuring that we have a safe and secure environment in Antigua and Barbuda.”

The first phase of the project will see 28 CCTV cameras installed at “strategic locations” in the city by the end of April. The remaining cameras will be installed by the end of July, the government said.

“Introducing the CCTV system is not a solution but will go a long way in providing the response that is needed to detect and survey the environment as far as it relates to curbing crime,” Spencer said.