Closed circuit television cameras may be installed in the City of Hamilton by the end of the year.

Sgt. Chris Wilcox, of the Crime Prevention Division of the Bermuda Police Service yesterday told Hamilton Rotarians that a technician is on the Island talking to local utility companies about the hooking up the system.

Phase one of the programme will see cameras operating in the area from Albouy Point to the junction of Front and Parliament Streets and as far back as Victoria Street. It will also encompass the Bulls Head car park.

Sgt. Wilcox said Government, the Corporation of Hamilton and local businesses raised the $1.3 million needed for the initial phase of the programme.

"Each location will have a series of cameras,'' he explained. "The cameras will be movable and can zoom in on objects.

"You will find them on the corners of buildings. If you use the Boyle's Building on the corner of Queen and Church as an example there would be one camera looking west, one looking north, one camera looking east along Church Street and one looking down Queen Street.'' The cameras will be mounted two storeys off the ground, enabling operators to have a bird's-eye view, even at night.

And he said each camera will have its own screen and will be manned by an operator, who will be able to manipulate the cameras.

"There will be one screen per location and each location will have a few cameras,'' Sgt. Wilcox explained. "The operator will be able to switch between the cameras to look in different directions.'' The operator will also be able to record any incidents and the recordings will be admissible in court, he said.

Noting there may be as many as 20 screens to patrol, Sgt. Wilcox estimated that there will be two people on duty at one time.

And he said the system will probably be housed in the Communications Operations room at Police Headquarters.

Sgt. Wilcox told the audience that CCTV had proved to be a major crime deterrent.

In Glasgow, Scotland, crime decreased some 20 percent with the programme, he claimed.

Sgt. Wilcox invited the public to help the Government and businesses expand the programme to encompass Pitts Bay Road and "the Back-of-Town''.

POLICE POL CRIME CRM