Miller gets CCTV in district
(CNS): The independent MLA for North Side has made good on his campaign promise to install CCTV in his constituency. While the rest of the country continues to wait on government’s plans to install cameras island-wide, Ezzard Miller and his district council began raising money straight after the election to buy the security system themselves. Several cameras hooked up to remote monitoring equipment are now installed throughout North Side in strategic locations. The equipment stores the digital film for more than two weeks, which can be viewed from North Side and Bodden Town police stations. Law enforcement now has a 24/7 bird’s eye view of the district, which Miller hopes will deter crime.
Miller said yesterday, as he showed off the new equipment at the small police station in North Side, that the installation was down to the donations made by people in the district. He said, however, that he had encountered a number of bureaucratic difficulties along the way that almost derailed the project — not least a bill from the planning department of $400 for the inspection of each camera mounted on a CUC light pole.
“Here we were trying to do something for the good of the community and we came up against bureaucrats,” lamented Miller, the first and only MLA to directly take on the security of his constituents. He queried whether government would need to pay planning $400 for each camera it planned to mount on light poles once the government CCTV scheme began. Miller said the planning department refused to waive the fees as it insisted that each camera on each pole had to have an electrical inspection.
As a result he had to raise considerably more money from the community than first expected but his constituents were behind him in the project and so they wrote the cheques, he said. Miller also noted that CUC is charging $20 per month for each camera on one of its poles, but the only other costs will be the internet connection and Miller said if it reduces crime in the district it will be worth the money.
Linda Connolly, chair of the North Side Neighbourhood Watch Committee, said that the cameras were very welcome and sent a clear message. “This lets the criminals know that we mean business in North Side and we believe this will deter individuals from coming to our district to commit crime,” she added.
Deputy Chief Inspector Richard Harford of the RCIPS agreed that it should be a deterrent but also a very useful tool for the police in the issue of detection. “It is a real help to us to combat crime,” he said. “CCTV in private homes and business assist the police greatly and these cameras around the district will be very effective as the picture quality is very good.”
The sophisticated technology of the CCTV system produces top quality images from the cameras in both the day and night. They are clear enough to see detail and the technician was able to demonstrate that police will be able to zoom in on license plates and faces, helping them to ID individuals committing crime and the vehicles they have used.
Miller said the cameras were all placed at locations across the district selected by the police and were not pointing at peoples homes or invading privacy. He said their placement had been decided by the RCIPS in order to assist them in their ability to apprehend the criminals. However, Miller said, the network could easily be extended and any home owners association that wanted to purchase more cameras for their property those could be added to the district monitoring system, he explained.
Keen to ensure that he helps to tackle the rising crime in his once peaceful district, Miller said he has been waiting for thirty years to get the level of policing he would want to see in his constituency, hence the decision to take the problem on directly.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” the independent MLA said, “but we think it will help.”
Category: Headline News
Sorry, these cameras are like a broom and will only push crime to other areas. We only wish they would be effective.
Another excuse for the Police not to patrol – just sit and watch tv now.
Well done Mr. Miller and folks of North Side!
Thumbs down for CUC! Fine they’re your poles, but c’mon, that is ludicrous! Planning inspection (albeit steep) I understand.
For the naysayers, cameras are a detterent!
Now the Police need to properly investigate the crimes. I know of an instance where a criminal was filmed on camera, full face, copy given to Police (name known) and nothing happened!!! This was a major burglary! Sorry, but don’t ask a Jamaican to investigate a Jamaican.
For you good Yardies out there, no offence, and you too know what I mean!
Not fair!
Miller canlook at the beautiful girls crossing the North Side street but I can’t!
Well done Mr Miller,
It seems that there were considerable obsticles placed in his way whilst attempting to assist with combatting crime for his constituancy.
What about the rest of us who live elsewhere?
What happened to this ‘Island wide CCTV system’?? Do we have to wait for a ‘Premier’ who is never here to make any kind of decision for that??
who is making this system happen?? Surely somebody should be pushing for this project to happen soon??
He spoke about it and got it done. Good for him, Something that is needed with the present crime situation.
Now onto the real problem. While it is nice that this has been done and will or may help in solving a crime, please people do not think that this will be the end all, save all. No sir that is not the case. This is just a small tool that can be used by the RCIP, but with the present state of that Service and the apes gone wild ( criminals- these people are behaving like primates and not humans) you will have better luck playing pick up six with your butt cheeks then getting real results from them. There have been plenty of crimes that have video footage of the criminals at work but very few arrests with charges and convictions that stick. This speaks volumes of the effectiveness of the use of these CCTV. When you look at percentages, they have only solved very few or aided in the solving of very few crimes. So before we are all singing praise the Lord and we have been saved sweet Jesus, please look at facts and not fiction.
The real problem sits not with the Police or the Government, but with the people who are having children like a farmer harvests bannanas. I bet he puts more care into his crop then most of the parents do with their child. Kids growing up in several broken homes, not knowing who their father is, many half brothers and sisters from several men or women is the very reason we are here to this point. While Mr. Baines is out of touch with the real world as a Policeman, it is not his fault on why the community is broken and turning into a jungle with jungle like creatures swinging through trees preying upon hard-working people. We need Buel Braggs back in power. He knew the people, the way of life, but even with his caliber of Commissoner, there are some hard social issues that need to be addressed.
Bravo Ezzard!!!
But boy, it still pains me to know dat the "rich man" wanna-be’s we got down this side only got cameras for their house!!! And wah we the poor people got to protect us? CAN OF LYSOL? BOTTLE OF CLOROX???
Poor West Bay – especially them good folks that trapped in Birch Tree Hill…… ;(
BUT YAH KNOW WAH? WE NOT GOT ONE PERSON ON OUR SIDE IN THE L.A.!!!
But I betcha people fighting lawsuits and name dropping by most wanted big don, getting lots of reassuring taps on dah shoulder!!!!
Rememba dis……. God watching and unna naw gunna get VOTED out next time, unna gunna get taken down!!!
Scr&# unna..buncha no use!
He is nothing more than a Piped Piper. CCTV has almost no added benefit in crime prevention or detection, except car crime which is limited here. In fact, studies in the UK indicate that CCTV has had a negative impact on policing once the costs of installation, maintenance and oversight of CCTV is taken into account.
Sorry to burst the bubble.
I say we should have an election and vote Mr. Miller Permier, he appears to be the only one doing anything!!
Northsiders should be very happy with their representation!!
Just in case Mr. Miller thinks that he is the first to get CCTV cameras for his district, I would like to point out that the Premier also had CCTV cameras installed in West Bay.
So far, the CCTV cameras in West Bay are all directed towards the Premier’s residence. XXXXXX
Is it because that is where the majority of crime takes place in these islands lol
Well done Ezzard!!! You have always shown that are truly looking our for your community and the people of Cayman.
Thanks God that the people of North Side has someone to look out for there needs becasue the rest of this districts sames like all we got was a bunch of Travel Agents. Well done Mr. Miller more than what i can say for the travelling band wagon.
Now we can see who is shooting all the parrots and rabbits
Very little, or arguably no crime happens in North Side, by far the safest area. With the installations of these cameras I think it’ll definatly maintain NS’s incredible crime rate. My question is, why is only Mr. Miller smart enough to go through with this? What are the other representatives thinking? Why dont they follow the real leader Mr. Ezzard Miller and do the same?
time to nut up or shut up
Great. Can I get the footage for my new reality TV show? "What happens in North Side, stays in North Side"
Look for the divorce rate to skyrocket.
Mr. Miller it is a good thing for the cause of Justice… now what will we do to keep it out of the wrong hands? What will we do (or has been down) to protect people from their invasion of privacy?
Concerned citizen
Great to see at least one MLA following through with promised plans. The rest of them need to take note – i have alot of respect for Miller – he gets stuff done and doesn’t stop working for his district.
Shining example sir – Well done.
Might like him or not, personally he scares me with many of the things he says, but what you need to recognize is that he gets things done, a very rare capability on a politician and clearly lacking in all of the current Ministers….
I’m curious to know what they consider a "strategic location" in Northside.
Never mind what part of north Side is a strategic area, you had better be aware that the 13 people you all claim live in this sleepy town will not put up with the lousy behaviour that want to come our way.
Ezzard has our vote no matter what you all say.
Give em hell Ezzard we want our district to be safe.
And if you catch the vagabonds- don’t waste time with the cops.
No suh, introduce them to the healing and rehabilitating powers of the Cow Cod applied generously to their back, legs and bottoms. There will be NO crime in North Side soon enough.
And…doesn’t cost CI$20 to CUC. And….doesn’t cost everybody paying for CCTV cameras and equipment.
Bring back the bull…cos we heard enough of the bull!
CUC’s charging 20 bucks a month per camera? WTF? Great corporate citizens they are…UNBELEIVABLE!!!
I’m not knocking Ezzard for doing what he can for his district, but it is sad that North Side, a tiny Caribbean community with about 13 people in it, needs security cameras. Sad.
You know I would not call it sad. I would say intelligent. Why wait until the cow gets out to mend the fence.
Another of Mr. Millers achievements. Well done North Side a town that sticks together grows together.