Police, businesses partner on crime – Eagle Eye project to be expanded across Trinidad and Tobago

For just over seven months, the Eagle Eye project has been working to help deter and detect crime, and stakeholders are focusing on expanding the network nationally.

Although based primarily in North East and Eastern Trinidad, the joint project between the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GTCIC), the Tunapuna Police Station Community Council (TPSCC) and the police service has a network of some 400 cameras which feeds directly to the police command centre.

President of the TPSCC and director of the GTCIC Neil Boodoosingh said the project focuses on putting cameras in locations not typically covered by the national security services' network.

These, he said, are placed at businesses and in communities. The monthly cost for businesses is $199 for two cameras and for residential customers, $99 for one camera. He said it also comes with signage, which has been working as a deterrent for criminal elements.

With its heaviest concentration of cameras in Tunapuna, Boodoosingh said reports from police indicate a significant increase in crime detection and deterrence there since the project was launched in February.

"That speaks for itself."

Giving an example of the effectiveness of the system, which is not used for financial gain, TTPS liaison for the project Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Richard Smith said police were recently able to use it to identify a body.

"We found a body in the Arouca district and we found a receipt in the pocket of the deceased person. We were able to track back where the person went and purchased some stuff and get the footage. We got a still shot from it and we were able to place it on Beyond the Tape and other social media platforms and we found the relatives.

"That is just some of the successes. We also have it for robberies, larcenies and all these things. Even with vehicles that might be passing on the roadways that might be stolen. We have ways of identifying these vehicles as well and even tracking where they came from."

Boodoosingh believes one of the project's biggest advantages is that those who sign up help monitor the network, which allows for almost immediate reporting of faulty cameras.

"If they wake up in the morning and on their smartphone they not seeing the camera working, they can now highlight it to us and we'd have it back up and running in 48 hours.
"The government system, because it is almost impossible for somebody to look at all the cameras at the same time, it's only when they go to use the camera when an incident happens, then they realise it not working."

The latest entity to sign on is the Owner Dealers' Association. President-elect of the group, which represents the interests of gas station owners and the property they are built on, Reval Chattergoon told Newsday the group signed on to the project as crime poses a serious threat to their businesses.

He said the association signed on as a proactive approach to combat the scourge. Gas stations have also fallen victim to criminal elements. Earlier in September police killed a bandit in a shootout after he robbed a 24-hour gas station in Charlieville.

"It's like almost having a police officer in your station all the time, 24 hours. The larger perspective is that should any crime occur in your street or community, it could give the TTPS an advantage to log on to see."

ODA was formed in August and currently represents 18 of 57 owner dealers in the country.

Chattergoon said seven dealers are expected to instal Eagle Eye cameras in the coming week and two gas stations, which don't qualify to be members, are also interested in it.

With gas stations often operating 24/7, Boodoosingh said having the association on board will bolster the project's strength.

"It is an asset to the Eagle Eye Project and a great encouragement when you have these associations coming onboard."

ACP Smith described gas stations as "watering holes" which would be crucial in tracking criminals through the network.

"You hunting in the forest, where is the most common place animals will stop? To drink water.
"If you use that analogy to vehicles, vehicles must go in gas stations, so it's a good area where we could have these cameras placed so we can capture vehicles."

Boodoosingh and Smith also encouraged people to come on board to help build a more robust security network.

"We look forward to what is happening in Tunapuna to take place throughout the country," Boodoosingh said.

"Eagle Eye has been working in Tunapuna. We have been getting the element out of Tunapuna. The problem is, Tunapuna has now become a hard-target city and the element is going to go into the more vulnerable areas and we intend to make every area in this country a hard target."

He said negotiations are ongoing with the Couva and Chaguanas chambers of commerce, East Gates Mall and Republic Bank Ltd. Greater San Fernando Area Chamber of Commerce head Kiran Singh told Newsday he met with the Southern Division's senior superintendent last week to discuss introducing the project among its members.

TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Kiran Maharaj said the chamber supports any initiative that would positively affect the reduction of crime, improve detection rates and result in convictions given the spiralling crime rate. While she said the chamber believes it's a good initiative, it is also critical that action is taken to take the perpetrators into custody and subject them to the law.

Boodoosingh said he hoped the government could also invest in the project. He said for $1 million a month, 5,000 cameras can be installed across the country and, unlike those under the Ministry of National Security, they would be monitored and maintained.