Tobago Police Division head, ACP Collis Hazel, hopes to reduce crime and serious offences on the island following the installation of 181 cameras provided by the Ministry of National Security.
Hazel yesterday said over the past weeks, the ministry has completed the installation of the first batch of surveillance cameras across the island.
He said this would help improve the island’s crime detection rate, which currently stands at 34 per cent.
“We embrace all the technology that can be provided to improve our detection rate. ITC is part of the strategy, utilised with intelligence-led policing as a means of working with human resources to deter and detect crime,” Hazel said.
“We look forward to more collaboration where persons and the business community can install cameras within their homes and business places in order to deter and detect crime on the island.”
He added, “We continue to ask people, despite this initiative, if you see something, say something. Use the people as your friend and not your enemy so we can achieve more.”
The second tranche of cameras is expected to be installed in the coming months. Hazel said intelligence-led policing will help further crime-fighting in Tobago.
This initiative comes a little over a month after an emergency crime meeting between the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s (TTCIC) Tobago Division, Commissioner of Police Erla Harewood-Christopher and other stakeholders.
After the six-hour meeting, the Commissioner committed to developing measures to deal with the crime situation in Tobago.
Contacted yesterday, TTCIC Tobago chairman Curtis Williams said he saw the cameras being installed and hopes this would significantly reduce murders, larceny and other serious crimes plaguing the business community.
So far for the year, Tobago has recorded six murders. Of this total, one murder was solved in March.