Jamaica to Install 1,000 CCTVs Island-Wide By Year-End

(Jamaica Gleaner) The Government is to install 1,000 closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) in strategic locations islandwide by year-end.

The CCTVs will be integrated in the monitoring system of the ‘Jamaica-Eye’ initiative by the Ministry of National Security.

JamaicaEye is a public-private partnership design-ed to network CCTV cameras owned by the ministry as well as accommodate feed from privately-owned CCTV cameras.

The feeds will provide useful footage in relation to criminal activities and other emergencies and will be monitored by a team of security professionals.

Details were provided by Senior Director, Modernisation Initiatives and Strategic Projects in the national security ministry Arvel Grant in an interview with JIS News following a seminar presentation on JamaicaEye at the Management Institute for National Development (MIND), on Old Hope Road in St. Andrew on Monday,

Grant disclosed that at least 300 cameras have been installed in high-priority areas as part of the initiative.

He added that several cameras were procured during the latter part of last year and early this year.

“We have more than 400 cameras ready to be installed, so we are going through laying down the necessary infrastructure and doing the installations and connections now. We definitely plan to be at 1,000 cameras by the end of the year,” he told JIS News.

The Senior Director noted that Jamaicans have been receptive to the initiative. “Many communities have already started procuring camera systems and installing them. We are guiding them through the process and helping them to make sure that they get the right cameras, they place them at the right places and that they get connected successfully to the system,” he added.

The Ministry has already installed cameras in public spaces in Kingston, Montego Bay, St James, Mandeville, Manchester, Ocho Rios, St Ann, May Pen, Clarendon and Negril, Westmoreland.

Persons wishing to participate in the JamaicaEye programme may visit www.jamaicaeye.gov.jm and register to be a part of the initiative.