The failure of CCTV cameras in Ocho Rios has come up again for attention, as being unseeing when called upon.
A councillor in the St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC) on Thursday, November 8, revealed that following a hit-and-run crash at the entrance to the popular Eight Rivers Plaza inOcho Rios, the cameras located there showed nothing.
Ian Isaacs, councillor for the Exchange Division said a senior citizen was exiting the popular plaza about 6p.m. on Wednesday, October 31, when she was hit by a vehicle that did not stop. He identified her as Laney McFarlane of Pineapple. He said when the police were called on to do the investigation,starting with the cameras located at the entrance, they said nothing was shown on them.
Councillor Isaccs said “we would like that to be seriously investigated.”
Responding to the concerns, DSP Rudolph Taylor who was at the meeting to deliver the police monthly report said that he would seek to find out what happened, but he said the cameras sometimes did not work because of lack of servicing. He said often ittook two or three days for the cameras to be serviced after the police informed the authorities who have to come from Kingston to do the servicing.
Councillor Isaacs said it was a sad situation that the “security of our citizens was being compromised.” He asked what was the use of the cameras if they showed nothing. Councillor Isaacs said the police should institute a process of regularly servicing the cameras.
DSP Taylor asked for anyone who saw the crash or knew anything about it to help by calling the police with the details.
Questions have been raised previously about whether the cameras work as they have not been shown to help police in their work in the resort town.
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