$5,000 worth of surveillance video cameras on its premises.

One person lost four Honda Scoopy cycles to thieves in two months prior to the cameras being installed The Royal Gazette understands.

And cycle thefts, coupled with suspected drug trafficking, have prompted one city high school to turn to high technology. Although in both cases brazen thieves have still struck.

On the corner of the Vallis building on Par-La-Ville Road nearly $5,000 has been spent to set up cameras to stop cycles being stolen from a parking lot across the road.

Thieves still managed to steal two cycles parked in that lot this month, although the incident was captured on videotape and is being investigated.

Similarly, at Mount St. Agnes Academy, where three cameras were installed in the courtyard six weeks ago, a thief was captured on videotape as he was tampering with a cycle.

The cameras on the Vallis building were installed two months ago and have helped lower the incidence of theft from the Par-La-Ville road parking lot, said Mr. Frank Vallis, landlord for the property.

Those thefts affected several of his main tenant's -- the chartered accountancy firm of Morris, Stephens and Butterfield -- employees.

Mr. Bill Black, president of the security firm Bermuda Central Station, said the video recording has been very successful.

The technology involves high resolution cameras which can "see'' in the dark.

There is one main camera with others hidden in other locations.

"There have been two thefts since the cameras have been put up,'' he said.

"And we have the culprits' pictures on file and attempts are being made to identify them right now.'' The parking lot has two signs warning closed circuit television is operating 24 hours a day.

Mount Saint Agnes principal Sister Judith Rollo installed three cameras in the schoolyard because she suspected drug trafficking was taking place near the school gates as students from other schools' congregated there.

"I feel badly that they (cameras) are there and that this is what Bermuda has come to,'' she said.