– says initiative not meant to be Big Brother
Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn said the CCTV cameras should be installed in various points in the city by August, and insisted that they are not meant to be an Orwellian answer to issues that face society nor is it meant to be Big Brother. Speaking on NCN 11 last night, with host Martin Goolsarran, on a programme on the National Commission on Law and Order, Benn said the introduction of the cameras is related to improving the security of citizens, providing an environment in which the authorities could respond to incidents.
“And generally to ensure that we have an archival record or database of certain areas in the city and its environs that could be reviewed and submit to analysis, to be able to understand and respond to issues which may come up later,” he said.
The minister said that in this way, the authorities would be able to respond, based on gathered information in traffic management and other issues.
Benn acknowledged that while the system is new to Guyana, it is common to metropolitan cities around the world. He said that the technology would help not only those who reside in Georgetown, but also those passing through the city to conduct business.
The Minister said that for example, if somebody fell down and wanted help and that incident was caught on camera, then there would be a response and a routing of help to the person. Likewise, he said that if there were a security incident, there could be a routing and response to that event.
“We at the National Commission on Law and Order, chaired by [Minister of Home Affairs] Clement Rohee, are tasked with policy and giving guidance on security, and certainly the nature of crime and violence has changed overall,” he said. Benn also said that the cameras would help the present situation of overburdening of the security forces.