Cameras needed on George Street: new chief

The incoming chief of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is assuring the public that closed-circuit cameras on the biggest bar strip in province will not invade their privacy.

Bob Johnston, who was named Wednesday as the new chief of the RNC, said his priorities include taking advantage of technological advances, including installing a closed-circuit television system on George Street, the popular strip of bars and clubs in downtown St. John's.

Johnston said the cameras, which have been under consideration for some time, will protect people and not infringe their privacy rights.

"We're not looking to be the moral police," said Johnston, who succeeds the retiring Joe Browne on May 1.

"We're looking at dealing with issues that occur, for example, on George Street, where more often than not when somebody is assaulted, there's never really a witness that can give credible evidence in court," Johnston told reporters Wednesday.

Johnston said there will be strong policies to dictate how investigators can use the closed-circuit video.

No timeline has been released, but Premier Danny Williams, who attended a news conference about Johnston's appointment, said the system will be in place sooner rather than later.

"We just went through the Junos and we [promoted] George Street as the place to be," said Williams, referring to the dozens of venues that participated in concerts leading up to Sunday's Juno Awards at nearby Mile One Centre.

"Well, you know, it's got to be a safe place for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, first of all, but it's got to be safe for tourists coming through, too."

Williams added a joke about what he'll do when the cameras come online. "I'll have to get a baseball hat and a pair of dark sunglasses when I go down there, but even so, it will be a small price to pay."

Johnston said there are 1.5 million closed-circuit cameras in Britain, and that police there have had great success in catching criminals.