Pres. Ali seeks to move Smart City ‘Surveillance’ program to other regions

President Ali addressing the gathering last week Thursday

The ability of the intelligence and security agencies in Guyana to track and monitor criminal and other activities taking place across the country is expected to become more efficient with the expansion of the smart city program to other regions of the country.

Last week Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces President Irfaan Ali made the announcement about the expansion while addressing a gathering at Cove and John on the East Coast Demerara.

The move is just part of a number of other initiatives which the government has been looking to roll out and engage partnerships on as a means of increasing security and monitoring main and major economic and commercial spots in the city and other parts of the country.

“The use of technology and people-centered policing is also very critical to the outlook and future of the police force. We ourselves are now working on the expansion of the smart city program where we are using technology surveillance… the cameras beyond the boundaries they are used now to aid the police crime-fighting and intelligence gathering” President Irfaan Ali explained.

In its current form, the Smart City program which was launched in Georgetown several years ago, has CCTV cameras set up at main entry and exit points to the city and at other strategic locations within the city to monitor movements and pin-point acts of illegality.

Among the aim of the Smart City program is to have it linked to the Guyana Fire Service, Guyana Police Force and Guyana Defence Force to guide their responses to locations when responding to emergencies. The cameras are being monitored on a 24 hours basis.

“We are going one step further, in every region you know, we have the national center established we are looking at the possibility of establishing regional centers that will incorporate civilians and members of the police force” The president added last week Thursday.

Additionally, the president mentioned that in an effort to boost the visibility of the Guyana Police Force especially in the commercial zones in Georgetown, an offer was made to the Private Sector.

“We throw out a challenge to the private sector that the government is willing to grant duty-free concessions on vehicles and the police force is willing to put people in these vehicles to do 24hrs surveillance and 24 hours monitoring of specific centers and I am happy to report that one business entity has taken up the challenge so far” President Ali noted.

He outlined that with this initiative, vehicles will be patrolling along Kingston, Main Street and Carmichael Street among other locations.

He said that the sooner business operators understand that the more secure their business environment is, the more welcoming it will be to potential customers as it would prove the customers a service of safety.

The president said the partnership between the police and the private sector must be one that is also seen as taking the police to the people.