$4.6 Million CCTV Contract
Tommy Turnquest, minister of national security, announced at yesterday’s contract signing at Police Headquarters that Lowe’s Security Limited, Avrio RMS Group and Security Centres International will all take part in the first phase of the project. A total of 243 cameras will be strategically deployed throughout New Providence.
“The contract is valued at $4,669,809 and will place firstly from St. Alban’s Drive in the west, to Mackey Street in the east, and covering areas at least one mile south of Bay Street,” he explained.
“Additionally, cameras will be strategically located in other areas on the island that will focus on high crime areas and ‘hot spots’, giving police officers additional eyes to monitor, prevent and detect crimes.”
He pointed out that the contract signed with Lowe’s Security Limited covers the provision and installation of the 243 cameras, the ancillary equipment, video management software, license plate recognition software, all of the servers and storage devices and the outfitting of the command and control center.
Training for system operators and users have also been included in the contract.
Turnquest continued: “Key to the success of this project are the local companies, Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC). The government will contract with BTC to provide the WiFi Network for the project. BTC, at their expense, will purchase and install the network, to provide connectivity for the cameras that will be a part of this project.
“The solution provided by BTC will ensure network connectivity between the cameras, the BTC Wide Area Network (WAN) Nodes, and the Command & Control Centre of the CCTV Project. For the duration of this contract, BTC will provide maintenance and support of the network.”
Frank Comito, executive director at the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA), was also on hand at yesterday’s signing. He said the implementation of CCTV has been a long time coming, a process that started more than a decade ago.
However, he was pleased that it is now coming to fruition, as it is an invaluable crime-fighting tool.
“Back then, we thought that CCTV was a really good idea, has great value and is working well in the private sector. How do we apply this in a municipal setting in The Bahamas? It has an impact on deterring crime and essentially creating public comfort. The recommendations surfaced again around 2007/2008. In awarding this contract, we needed to ensure that we both have local and international expertise. Personally, I am pleased because I feel that it is an invaluable crime fighting tool,” he explained.
In the meantime, Lowe’s Security’s president and managing director Derek Farquharson revealed to Guardian Business that the first phase’s mobilization date is set for May 1.
“The first set of equipment should arrive by the end of June for field testing to be conducted. Deployment is expected to take place by mid-July. Cameras will go live by the end of July. The project is expected to be completed by September,” he added.
Lowe’s has been operating in The Bahamas for many years and is a well established company in The Bahamas providing a wide range of security services. Avrio RMS Group is a security solutions provider that has a wealth of experience and has undertaken major projects in the United States. Security Centres International recently concluded a major project of similar size and scope in the Cayman Islands, in conjunction with Avrio RMS Group.
The Nassau Guardian
Published: April 26, 2012
