Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud said the ministry is moving to install surveillance cameras in municipalities and large markets.
The cameras, he said will be under the control of the neighbourhood democratic councils.
Persaud pointed out that cameras have already been installed at the Bartica Market, but did not give a timeframe when same will be done at other markets and municipalities.
Closed-circuit cameras are universally used in supermarkets, banks and other places where business is frequently conducted.
The cameras would not only serve as a deterrent to criminal elements, but could also help the police in their investigations to crack down on illegal activities conducted in the markets.
This initiative would be welcomed by stallholders as many of them have suffered at the hands of vandals.
The cameras can also serve as an early alarm system in the instance of a fire. Market fires are not uncommon and have caused some businesses to suffer major losses in the past.
Since the introduction of these cameras into the Bartica market, officials there have recorded a 100 per cent decrease in break and enter. In the past, the Bartica Market suffered at least two break-ins per week.
