CCTV to become permanent in Dominica

cctvPlans are in place to have the installation of security cameras (CCTV) as a permanent fixture on the island, National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore has announced.

The minister made that announcement while addressing a recently held press conference.

“We intend to have the installation of security cameras as a permanent fixture within the National Security infrastructure on the island,” he said. “And the installation of those cameras will not be limited only to Roseau but other parts of the country.”

CCTV and a together with a strong police presence were employed in the streets of Roseau during just concluded two days of street jump up and Blackmore stated that the heightened police presence and vigilance will continue after Carnival.

“I have gotten the assurance based on our interaction, that heightened presence and vigilance will not disappear after Carnival,” he noted.

Meantime Police Chief, Daniel Carbon said CCT has helped in identification of persons and in solving crimes.

He believes that the entire city of Roseau should have CCTV.

“I made reference to that some time ago, all major cities worldwide have CCTV…I have no reason to doubt that very soon there will be permanent CCTV in the City of Roseau, Portsmouth and other areas,” Carbon stated.

Carbon encourages business owners to install CCTV at their premises.

“Every business in Roseau, as long as you can afford it, put in CCTV,” he stated. “It will help you, it will protect you and it will also help us to protect you.”

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32 Comments

  1. Storm
    February 13, 2016

    Mr minister kindly put security cameras on all the allegations of corruption and bad practice in Dominica..
    Put cameras on all the rich people who continue to get richer
    Protect all ministers by putting cameras in there vehicles and homes. ….
    Put cameras close to those chinese businesses to see learn how well they do business and how honest they are.
    Why don’t you improve border patroll so as to prevent drugs and illegal fire arms from Coming in the country.
    You are just making big pronouncements about cameras all over Dominica. …
    How will these cameras work. . Will they ever work?
    Dominica got so much darkness and place with not a lamp poll, so what will be the effect of these cameras. …
    Dominica got far better things to do than you talking about cameras cctv
    On another note, why can’t you all speak about post errika development?
    Because of folKS like you and this government, Dominica will never develop.
    No wonder the world is watching a good example of…

  2. UDOHREADYET
    February 13, 2016

    This is a very smart move! they have this throughout cities and towns in the US… its actually law in some town that business have security cameras. Also is closed circuit television, the correct terminology is security cameras, the name describes the function.

  3. Jayson
    February 13, 2016

    And so it begins…

    It’s easy to say that if you’ve done nothing wrong u should have nothing to hide, but if that’s the case:

    Why not audio surveillance on all telephone calls?

    Also, why not make it mandatory to have GPS trackers installed on all vehicles being licensed in the country and have them monitored from police headquarters.

    Why not take finger prints of every individual in the country and photo and have it on a computer database so that anytime a crime is committed in an area the police would have an idea of all persons who have been in that area via their prints, and they could be picked up for questioning.

    How about random body searches of all people in a certain area for weapons.

    Where this may look like a simple case of curbing crime via video monitoring, there may also be a case on infringing on the rights to privacy of law abiding citizens.

    ”He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security”…Ben…

    • Jayson
      February 13, 2016

      Proper Legislation must be implemented governing the use of this cctv equipment.

    • Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
      February 17, 2016

      “Also, why not make it mandatory to have GPS trackers installed on all vehicles being licensed in the country and have them monitored from police headquarters.”

      Jason, that sounds good but it is not very practical at all; because not every car built even in the twenty-first century are built with GPS, and mind you could Skerrit maintain a GPS positioning Satellite over Dominica for constant monitoring purpose?

      Be informed; and I am speaking from my personal experience, they are expensive, and very expensive to maintain. I have more than one: I have one in a very expensive sports car, by itself it cast five thousand dollars, On my way to Canada it threw me off track led me in a wrong direction, I decide to have it changed, It cost me more than five thousand dollars to purchase; and installed.

      If that happened in a place like Dominica we would be talking near fifteen thousand EC dollars. That alone would cause the price of a car to be out of reach for some people.

  4. Chakademus
    February 13, 2016

    Well, we used to be a nature island. We used to be an escape from the rat race and the crazy dollar-chasing world out there. No more. Now big brother has infiltrated us, watching our every move. The issue of criminality is just an excuse, according to other commentators the criminals are well known, the authorities don’t need cctv to catch them.

    This is how the authorities in oppressive countries attempt to control their people, they introduce measures ostensibly for combating crime or some social ill but in reality it is used to monitor the populace. Freedom is gone, privacy is gone. You don’t have to be a criminal to want to be free.

  5. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    February 13, 2016

    “We intend to have the installation of security cameras as a permanent fixture within the National Security infrastructure on the island,”

    Another fifteen minuets of fame talking fart what might appear new in Dominica, is not even considered stale news. Citizens of all the more developed, and developing world live with that everyday, we have them covering the parameters of our private residential home; we have dash cameras, and others installed in our motor vehicles.

    Besides when the powers of this world are talking about national security, they are not talking about setting up cameras in the streets and on buildings! We long have satellites thousands of miles out of space monitoring the entire nations.

    In the first place there is no such thing as “National Security infrastructure.” only in Dominica such word is coined by another uneducated Crapo!

  6. XTE
    February 12, 2016

    I welcomed the idea of having CCTV cameras permanently affixed around Roseau and other parts of the country as suggested a action by the Minister of National Security.

    Clearly the vision initiated of Mr. Kimo Astaphans and his team at Platinum Security has is now being embraced at a national level. I must comment Mr. Ataphans and his team for such an undertaking. I had the privilege of working with him from the offset as the company I work for is one of those important partners who helped made is possible through use of their compound and network infrastructure. I believed in his vision from the first instance though it seemed a difficult endeavor, but I knew that with his determination and ability, the value of his project would soon be realized. I stand proud to see this happening now because I know that the country as a whole stands to benefit as has been proven during the carnival activities.

    My only hope is to see the powers that be continue to partner with him going…

  7. Kubuli
    February 12, 2016

    Mr. Minister, PM and the police, please help us by removing the import duties on the CCTV so it can be more affordable then we can better help you.

  8. Crab and Manicou Hunter
    February 12, 2016

    Too little to late. This should have been the norm years ago. We need police vehicles with cameras, so that they can be deployed to hot spots as needed.

  9. Saddened
    February 12, 2016

    I agree, Platinum started this in 2013 and stuck with their project thru 2016. Thumbs up to Kihmo and his Team for this brilliant idea and initiative. You guys demonstrated to the Police and Government the power of modern technology. Also big to Lime/Flow for providing unbeatable bandwidth. Like Davenport said, I hope the Architect of this initial idea and project gets the opportunity to provide this permanent infrastructure. We need to promote and support our local visionaries and not cast them aside for foreigners. They Proved themselves now is the time for the real deal. Also big up to the Police and NS Department that supported this idea and continued the partnership with Platinum Security.

  10. February 12, 2016

    The introduction of CCTV Security Cameras in Dominica would be a commendable step forward.

    In Canada they are proving to be a great tool in our cities both in crime prevention and detection.

    They are used outside on the sides of buildings, and at street lights. They are also used inside buildings looking through front windows to record activities on the streets. Both these have been helpful in spotting and following missing persons. They are also used in probably most large stores and many smaller stores. They are focused on the cash register and other areas where there may be shop lifting.

    There is always a cost involved. People have to balance the cost against the benefit to decide if they are worth the added expense. Personally I think in many cases the cameras are a great asset.

    Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill, Evangelist.
    Former Licenced Private Investigator. 8) Province of Ontario. Licence number 142306.

  11. Trevor Fabien
    February 12, 2016

    Here are two links which might interest anyone who might be worried about the impact the installation of CCTV might have on them.

    http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/cctv-privacy-and-the-law.html

    The second link pertains to all the information the government should consider when using CCTV. We need proper laws to govern something so intrusive as CCTV. They do not only catch people in the act and prevent crime, they also infringe on people fundamental human rights if not used properly

    This link is the sort of document the government must trawl through before they install CCTV in the country

    https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204775/Surveillance_Camera_Code_of_Practice_WEB.pdf

  12. Trevor Fabien
    February 12, 2016

    For anyone who might be interested in learning more about how CCTV impacts ones life and might encroach on ones privacy and how it can be dealt with.
    The link below might interest you.

    http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/cctv-privacy-and-the-law.html

  13. Trevor Fabien
    February 12, 2016

    The Chief of Police Quote” “I made reference to that some time ago, all major cities worldwide have CCTV. This is absolutely no valid reason to want to install CCTV in Roseau and other parts of the country. I am certain that we do have a Data Protection Act and is this Act going to be amended to accommodate the use of CCTV in public place?

    Are we going to have a Code of Practice when and if the extensive use of CCTV is employed.

    I do not want to go on about this but for someone who works in the security industry, based on what I am reading coming from the Commissioner of Police, a lot of work and research needs to be done before these things can be erected. The laws will most certainly need to be amended and I am hearing nothing about that.

    It is not simply a case of just putting CCTV up and around the place and that’s it. So sir, please do not sound like some simpleton al say that all big cities have CCTV, that is very irrelevant.

  14. Ashley Davernport
    February 12, 2016

    I would like to commend the initiative of PLATINUM SECURITY INC. For a top notch job of installing said CCTV over the carnival route during the days of festivities. Since they started it has been a major deterant to those who would wish to inflict harm on the revelers! If these CCTV are to become per many fixtures in our town on the island I sincerely hope you guys stick with PLATINUM SECURITY INC. As their work speaks for itself bases on your past partnership with them!

  15. wilderness
    February 12, 2016

    GREAT!

  16. Criminal Enterprise
    February 12, 2016

    I am all for the CCTV, but knowing the injustice that is prevent in our Dominica today, I have my doubts. First of all, who is going to manage and run it? Under whose portfolio will it be? Is our Police honest, trustworthy, and bipartisan enough to be trusted with cameras? Do we have a government that is for all the people and not just for few?

    Take for example the Christmas Morning fire bombing of GON Emanuel in 2010. Would the presence of CCTV stop it, or help solve that problem? That’s where who manages it becomes important because they can be turned off and evil men can commit their crime when they want.

    Remember the registry keys that disappeared and evil men were inside the building working? Where were the keys again? Was it at the police headquarters? Has anyone been held responsible? How would CCTV help solve that white crime?

    Would CCTV help catch those who entered the office of the IPO? I say zero because evil men even when dressed in a suit, will team up & do…

  17. mastiff
    February 12, 2016

    Thanks to the Government and Police Force of Dominica for implementing this system. Especially in those dark alleyways in Roseau, this will help keep the citizens and tourists safe. I already feel safer

    • mastiff
      February 12, 2016

      now let’s wait and see what the opposition tries to twist this into. Maybe they’ll file another lawsuit…

      • Just Me
        February 13, 2016

        Oh yes and officers like Mr. Jules who was savagely attacked. And those little boys peddling drugs by the roadside.

  18. T. W.
    February 12, 2016

    I think better laws on the books to persecute criminals is needed considering that most drug dealers on island are well known, most murderers and gangsters are well known and they run around rampantly without a care in the world and in the event that they do get put in prison they’re out in 5 years time.

  19. February 12, 2016

    “To little to late?” i don’t think so. Positive idea Chief and Min of National Security, my only fear is the type of Lip Service that we give to so many important facets of our countries development. What is sickening is that the Criminals and criminally minded are improving on their criminal enterprise and staying one step ahead of us. Lets give more teeth to actions so there can be more bite than bark.

    • February 12, 2016

      Comrade!!! i know you care, and demonstrated during you yoman service to our Country, as in my opinion you ae one of the best Police officer to ever put on the uniform, surfice it to say, you are one of the bravest police officer i have encountered i have come across many but you`re a stand out. Give jack his jacket, and let Jane wear her skirt. i know no other way. Respect! and thanks for your service to country. your friend. Let your voice be heard. no hard feelings, nothing personal, thats how we roll.

  20. Kim
    February 12, 2016

    Hot head Rayburn and this no brain police chief what is the rate of crime in the country side? What Is the basis for selection for the cameras in the villages? What are the statistics? Where are the hot spots in the villages. This is nonsense and a misuse of much needed funds which should go elsewhere. Rayburn is nothing but a former and current cop who is not in uniform today. Carbon-well Please this guy!!!!!!

    • February 13, 2016

      Kim:

      What do your questions have to do with security cameras :?:

      How will your bad mouthing Rayburn improve public safety :?:

      How does your putdown of the Chief of Police improve Dominica’s image abroad :?:

      Think of the damage your comments and others like them must be to the tourist industry in Dominica.

      With all the other negative DNO news comments it is a wonder that there are any tourists. Not even the natural beauty of the island is enough to draw people if they don’t think they are safe on the street, are afraid to go out at night, believe the police are incompetent, and the government is corrupt :!: I don’t believe either of these last two things are true. What I think is that a lot of you want to get posted and you don’t know what else to write.

      Now, go ahead. Give me thumbs down. Then tell me to stick to my preaching.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

  21. Securitytech
    February 12, 2016

    We need to have video specialist on the island and the law need to be amended so person can take video footage and coloured photos to court. For some reason I don’t thing video should only be recorded for identification purposes and not admissible in court. Just my thought.

    • Numan
      February 12, 2016

      Know the law. Since 2010 video evidence is admissible in Dominican Courts as well as digital photos.

  22. Ti boug
    February 12, 2016

    Police state , that’s how it begins

    • February 12, 2016

      As someone who’s spoken out against NSA-style mass surveillance, I agree that it’s good to watch the watchmen. But when street crime is rampant, isn’t it also wise to be concerned about actual criminals? If businesses install cameras of their own accord for their own protection, and it leads to better evidence to apprehend and convict those preying on Dominicans and tourists, where is the downside?

  23. February 12, 2016

    1000% in agreement with that. Sometimes we have to tip our hats to those who collectively channel their ideas, and efforts with a view to making our Country a safe place to live and visit. Don’t know about you. I’m Coming back God,s willing .

  24. February 12, 2016

    I someone don’t have any thing to reproach themselves they will never feel uncomfortable with it ,only criminals that are normally unhappy about cctv..enough is too much ,dominica cannot continue with this high level of criminality,we also need a special secret police force in order to police the policemen and women that we have because too many of them are corrupted ,now even a police woman is under arrest for murder ,a man was not arrested for rape,murder ,sexual assault nor for pedophilia he was killed by the police while under arrest…we cannot improve in reverse ,the days when rasta men were killed by the police and no justice was done is over…civilian criminals when caught should be punished according to the crime while the police criminal should be punished even more severely than a civilian because his/her role in the society is to serve and protect but it looks like they choose their people.stop the double standard,,put cctv in place to catch criminals…

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