A new network of 2,500 CCTV cameras and facial recognition software are being installed in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago at a cost of TT$80 million (US$11.7 million), reports the Trinidad & Tobago Guardian.
Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced that installation was underway in the country, population 1.4 million. Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob told The Guardian that the new technology will be introduced soon.
Jacob said that a national security agency was testing the facial recognition software and that the police, apparently waiting in eager anticipation, will soon be granted access to the tools. The facial recognition capabilities are intended to detect and prevent crime as police intensify their efforts to tackle the islands’ rising murder rate. Healthy discussion in the comments section on the Guardian article suggests the situation is more nuanced than the Acting Police Commissioner describes.
The news promptly follows the announcement of funding for the national security agencies of TT$5.79 billion (US$853 million) for 2022-2023, up from $5.66 billion. The late September announcement also stated the provision of biometric tools for military, police and immigration purposes.
