Above: downtown Nassau (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Seeking to step up the fight against crime, Bahamian officials signed a $4.6 million contract Wednesday to install a “comprehensive” Closed Circuit Television network.

The agreement means 243 cameras will be deployed in New Providence in key locations and crime “hot spots” as part of what is the first phase of an anti-crime initiative that National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest called a “critical milestone.”

“More importantly, as a result of our intentional and deliberate planning and with the proper management framework in place, we are certain that the National CCTV Project — in concert with the other resources that have been provided to the Royal Bahamas Police Force — will have an immediate impact,” Turnquest said.

The government has also put in place mechanisms to ensure certain resources like appropriate radio dispatch and available manpower, he said.

According to the Minister, research has shown that the mere placement of CCTV cameras does not by itself guarantee a reduction in crime as “many factors have to be considered.”

The CCTV agreement is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at tackling a growing crime problem, from the implementation of an enhanced 919 emergency call system, and an electronic monitoring for persons on bail.

The government has also amended legislation making evidence obtained by Closed Circuit Television recording admissible in Bahamian courts.

The contract was signed between the Bahamian government and a consortium of firms headed by Lowe’s Security Limited, a Bahamian company which has partnered with Avrio RMS Group, a US-based company, along with Security Centres Limited, based in the Cayman Islands.

Security Centres International recently concluded a major project of similar size in Cayman, in conjunction with Avrio.

“This recent experience in completing a similar project in a sister Caribbean nation with similar environmental conditions and concerns, was one of the attracting features for the selection of this consortium,” Turnquest said.