Antigua and Barbuda's expanded CCTV surveillance network is on track to be operational by the end of August, with high-definition cameras being installed at 42 locations across the twin-island nation. According to Antigua Observer, the project forms part of a broader government effort to strengthen crime prevention and public safety.
Public Safety Minister Sir Steadroy Benjamin updated Cabinet on the initiative this week, reporting that installation is progressing on schedule and is expected to wrap up during the final week of August. The new cameras will be integrated into the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda's existing surveillance infrastructure.
The expansion reflects the police force's growing reliance on CCTV footage in criminal investigations. Surveillance cameras have increasingly provided key evidence in cases involving robberies, shootings, traffic collisions and other offences. Authorities have also broadened their use of technology in recent years as part of wider efforts to modernise policing operations.
The 42 sites were reportedly selected following assessments of traffic patterns, commercial activity, public spaces and other areas deemed critical to national security and law enforcement. Once operational, the system is expected to enhance real-time monitoring, support emergency response operations and supply investigators with additional evidentiary material for criminal prosecutions.
Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant confirmed the details during Thursday's post-Cabinet media briefing, noting that the new cameras would complement the force's current surveillance setup.
"The new cameras will boost the current stock of cameras that are operated by the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda," Merchant said. "These new cameras will be merged into their system of surveillance."
Merchant also disclosed that the government is weighing whether the expanded network could eventually be used to enforce traffic laws — including issuing citations to motorists caught speeding or running red lights — without requiring a police officer to physically stop the vehicle.
He cautioned, however, that any such system would first require amendments to existing legislation, a reliable database of vehicle owners and adequate technological safeguards.
"It's a work in progress," Merchant said, acknowledging the concept's merit while stressing that stronger surveillance capabilities and supporting legal provisions would need to be in place before enforcement could begin.
