Prime Minister Gaston Browne says a major national surveillance system is being rolled out across Antigua and Barbuda, with roughly 200 cameras expected to be installed at strategic points to tackle crime, littering, and traffic violations. The investment marks one of the largest monitoring and enforcement upgrades in the country’s history.
Speaking on the Browne and Browne Show, Browne said the aim is to give law enforcement the ability to monitor a wide range of illegal activity in real time. “We will have about 200 cameras… at strategic points… not only to address crime and violence but even littering,” he said, describing the installation as part of a broader national security and clean-environment initiative.
The Prime Minister confirmed that the government has already made a significant upfront payment toward the system. Earlier in the programme he noted that they had “made a deposit over a million dollars… on the new camera system,” describing it as essential to both policing and environmental enforcement.
Browne argued that illegal dumping has become increasingly difficult to police because most people refuse to report violations, leaving enforcement officers with no evidence. “The problem is that people are not reporting them,” he said. He added that the installation of cameras is meant to correct exactly that. “That’s why we’re putting cameras in certain areas to capture these vehicles.”
The cameras will also be linked directly to enforcement personnel. Browne said the intention is to have offenders immediately identified so action can be taken. “We… start to hammer those people continue to litter indiscriminately,” he said, stressing that the government is determined to maintain clean public spaces. “Because again, we have resolved that Antigua and Barbuda must be a clean and beautiful country. We’re not relenting on that one.”
The installation of 200 cameras is part of a wider push that includes clearing derelict buildings, removing abandoned vehicles, enforcing beach vending rules, and increasing penalties for environmental violations. Officials expect the first phase of the camera network to be operational following an on-site assessment scheduled by the technical team.
