"George Street is a popular attraction for residents and visitors alike in our province, and it is our responsibility as a government to make this heavily frequented area as safe as possible," said the Honourable Felix Collins, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. "We have a responsibility to ensure appropriate resources are in place to protect the safety of our communities, as well as making sure our police forces have the tools they need to effectively fight crime."

The successful bidder will design and implement a system of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras, a minimum of 12 units, which will be located on power distribution poles on George Street. The system, which will feed video directly to Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) Headquarters for monitoring, will be designed to provide the RNC with the capability of capturing high quality video footage to support police investigations.

"Over the past several years, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary has seen an increase in the number of calls for service in the downtown area," said RNC Chief Robert Johnston. "CCTV cameras will not only create a deterrent, they are also an investigative tool that will assist in the successful prosecution of individuals who engage in criminal activity. The goal of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is to ensure public safety in the George Street area; CCTV cameras will assist in achieving that goal."

The tender closes October 28, 2010.

"We feel there is a definite need to install CCTV cameras on George Street and this initiative will be a valuable asset to police officers; however, the Provincial Government also recognizes our responsibility to ensure the personal privacy interests of individuals are protected," added Minister Collins. "This new technology will be used to bolster the RNC's investigative capabilities, and the video will be used for law enforcement purposes only."

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