The Bermuda Police Service has advertised for tenders to transform limited CCTV surveillance coverage into an Island-wide system.The advertisement appeared in the Official Gazette, calling on tenders to submit bids for the “implementation, maintenance and monitoring of a mesh network system of CCTV cameras and digital video recorders for coverage across the Island”.The ad states: “The CCTV system should allow the BPS to monitor and record identified crimes and illegal activities”.According to National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief, it is all part of a move to bring BPS into “21st century policing”.“Effective 21st century policing must include a significant technological interface in support of criminal investigations. Providing the widest possible coverage of the Island by CCTV will further enhance the Bermuda Police Service’s efforts to bring criminals to justice,” said Mr Perinchief.“Public safety is a cornerstone of confidence in Bermuda and the implementation of this intended system will further strengthen the administration of justice and demonstrates this Government’s commitment to providing our Police Service with the tools to do the job of keeping communities safe,” he added.Plans to implement an Island-wide system was “signalled in the 2012/13 budget” as part of BPS funding for the current fiscal year.A spokesman noted: “The open tender process seeks to encourage local service providers to analyse and respond to tender documents which detail this important project.”Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Opposition said: “The One Bermuda Alliance has watched with interest as the Police and the Corporation of Hamilton have moved ahead with this ambitious CCTV project, starting with a pilot project to extend coverage out of Hamilton which began in 2010.”“We support what is being done to the hilt. These surveillance cameras will make life much more difficult for criminals, who will never quite know when they’re being photographed, so the Police can identify and prosecute them,” he said.“It will give the Police another valuable tool for use in their fight against crime, it will make life safer for those who live in areas that criminals like to frequent and, in the long run, it will make everybody safer and more secure.”The spokesman added: “As we understand it, there were two American suppliers involved in the pilot project — Quantenna Communications and Smartrove. They have been assisted by two local firms, GET Security and Decisions Limited.“Having been involved in the pilot project, these firms will naturally have a bit of an inside track in tendering for the equipment the Police have now advertised for, with the support of the Ministry of National Security.“There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but the Government will have to make very certain that the bidding process is as fair, open and transparent as it can be, so that there is never any suggestion that it was rigged in favour of the pilot project firms,” he said.The spokesman also commented on the benefits of the rapidly changing advances of technology, “which have not only brought prices down, but increased the quality of the pictures considerably”.“At one time, the cameras fed into the Police monitoring unit via fibre optic cable, which was a very expensive way of doing it.“Now, the companies involved in the project are using a wirelessly-transmitted signal — cheaper, better, and more efficient,” he said.Government announced a $108.9 million budget allocation to maintain law and order in the Budget released in February for the Ministry of National Security.The Bermuda Police Service was given $68.6 million, an 18 percent increase over the $58.2 million it was initially allocated for 2011/12.Revised figures for that period show police received a total budget of $69 million.Some $17.6 million was allocated for border control, another $500,000 was laid out to extend CCTV networking to replace ageing cameras in the City of Hamilton.The Minister said at that time: “CCTV has played such an important role in securing convictions for offences committed in our communities that this initiative must be supported.”Another $1.9 million was allocated to create a new police data centre to complete the upgrade of their records’ management system.“These robust additions to the network infrastructure enhance the tools of the modern age and allow the police to work with cutting edge support systems,” said Mr Perinchief.“This Budget clearly demonstrates that this Government recognises the importance of public safety to the success of Bermuda. We are determined to make Bermuda safe to live, work, visit and do business.”