That the camera surveillance system managed by the Emergency Dispatch Centre went “live” on Friday was no doubt welcomed by many. Enhancing security with video monitoring can be of great value especially for a country with a tourism economy that is recovering from the devasting impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
Preparations for the first phase in Philipsburg involving TelEm started in earnest in 2015 and the project was launched in July of the next year. In addition to visitor-sensitive locations such as the downtown shopping area, also major traffic routes have been targeted.
The stated intention is to promote public order and safety, which is where the focus ought to remain. Those who will be checking the images and recorded video if needed have been trained to carry that responsibility in a professional and discreet manner.
The latter is important because in effect spying on private citizens even in public places can bring privacy considerations. This, for example, is why signs must be placed in the relevant zones informing people they are being electronically observed.
The officers in question need to always separate that function from their personal beliefs, issues, etc., because they are there on behalf of the entire community. Other than doing their job to look for suspect activities, potential threats and possible crimes, they need to basically ignore and forget about whatever else they may see in the process.