Security cameras keep an eye on PoS

SECURITY within Port-of-Spain will be considerably enhanced through the installation of 16 state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras on Charlotte Street, in the heart of the capital.

This was the view of Port-of-Spain Mayor Murchison Brown, in reaction to the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association’s (DOMA) announcement yesterday that the cameras had been installed.

In a statement, DOMA said the surveillance system will be formally launched at the council chamber of the Port-of-Spain City Corporation on Wednesday at 3.30 pm. National Security Minister Martin Joseph and Police Commissioner Trevor Paul have been invited to attend the launch.

When Newsday visited Charlotte Street yesterday, several of the cameras were spotted at strategic locations along the street. In a telephone interview yesterday, Brown told Newsday that he was happy that this initiative has come to fruition.

The mayor added that this was an initiative that the Ministry of National Security had on the front burner for some time and any measure to improve security in the city was welcome.

Other security measures taken to date in Port-of-Spain included joint police-army patrols, a mobile police post and Skywatch unit based at Independence Square.

DOMA president Gregory Aboud was out of the country and unavailable for comment.

However, Aboud has previously articulated DOMA’s concern about security in downtown Port-of-Spain and identified a video surveillance camera system as an anti-crime measure which could be implemented in the city.