CCTV cameras lead to 87 arrests

May 21, 2016 News

Police have charged 87 drivers for running red lights in and around the city for the year so far.

Surprisingly, what many people are learning is that the drivers were nabbed after their “unlawful act” was recorded on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras located in the city, on the East Bank Demerara and

One of the CCTV cameras on the Avenue of the Republic.

in certain parts on the East Coast Demerara.
This was disclosed by Acting Traffic Chief, Superintendent Boodnarine Persaud, during an interview Thursday.
There were 328 offences.
Supt Persaud said that once someone has been caught violating the traffic signals or breaking any of the traffic laws, the police will first try to locate that person and the footage will be played before them.
While most of the drivers would own up to their crimes, the acting Traffic Chief said that there are some drivers who would deny being the driver at that time—if this is the case, then contact will be made with the owner of the vehicle and the police will then try to locate the driver.
This newspaper was told that the cameras are being monitored by police on a daily basis at police headquarters, Eve Leary.
“We have a special task force set up to deal with CCTV at Traffic headquarters. We get a disc with the footage here and when we locate the drivers, we bring them and play the footage for them,” Persaud noted.
He said that the CCTV has been very helpful to the Traffic Department.
Kaieteur News understands that there are some 40 sites around the city with about three or four active cameras at each site. The cameras were erected to combat criminal activity.
Last year, the police charged more than 700 persons for breach of traffic light control in several areas.