By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 10th September 2021) — “Presently, out of the three CCTV programmes in the Federation that we are rolling out, this one in Nevis is the best, and more up to date,” said Police Commissioner Hilroy Brandy in his address at the official opening ceremony of the CCTV Command Centre in Nevis on Tuesday 7th September 2021. The building was outfitted with a donation of over $1 million in equipment from the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Unlike the other two CCTV programmes in St. Kitts which operate on Wi-Fi, the Nevis system operates on fiber optic connectivity, which is more reliable. Permanent Secretary Wakely Daniel confirmed the donation value at $1,865,093.22, covering cameras (License Plate Recognition, fixed, PTZ pan-tilt-zoom, and infrared), switches, NVRs, access control, monitors, a video wall, video server, and associated equipment. The Taiwanese company VIVO TECH was awarded the contract to source, purchase and install the equipment; an engineer from Mexico assisted with installation alongside local technical professionals.
The two-storey building measures 3,100 square feet total (1,550 sq ft per floor). The ground floor contains a public restroom, two special victim unit rooms, conference rooms, a server room, a forensic lab, a kitchen and reception area. The first floor houses a monitor room, tech room and evidence room. Architectural drawings were provided by the Public Works Department’s Architectural Unit; construction by Carlos Williams Construction Company commenced in May 2018 and was completed in May 2019. The cameras will be installed along the island main road, in identified hot spots, and at ports. The infrared cameras placed at ports will provide coverage during night hours. Premier Mark Brantley and Taiwan Ambassador Michael Lin attended the opening ceremony.