A $4 million upgrade to the island’s CCTV network could allow traffic tickets to be issued instantaneously, the Junior Minister of National Security said.

The Reverend Emily Gail Dill told the Senate yesterday that the improved system would be able to recognise faces and copy licence-plate numbers.

She added that it would enable e-mail traffic tickets to be sent to offending motorists caught by the cameras.

Dr Dill said: “The new cameras are perfect for video-monitoring applications, where lots of detail is needed.”

She also promised that the Ministry of National Security would enact policies farther down the line to protect the public’s privacy, while maintaining security.

She emphasised: “We will be working assiduously to ensure that proper policies are in place and that we do all that is necessary to ensure that our people are protected as we go forward.”

The deal was announced earlier this month as a way to strengthen the police’s ability to fight crime.

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, told the House that Digicel was commissioned to complete the installation of more than 250 cameras, which would take less than 25 weeks.

Under a second phase of the CCTV roll-out, the system will be able to spot speeding motorists and people jumping red lights, although no timeline for the second phase has been given.

The CCTV network will run on Digicel’s fibre and LTE networks and the 247 new cameras include facial and licence-plate recognition, PTZ (Pan/Tilt/Zoom), Multisensory, and Varifocal technology.

The system will have a soft roll-out over the Cup Match holiday and should be fully operational by Christmas.