Security cameras focus on St. John's bar district

Police soon will be keeping a closer eye on the famous George Street entertainment area in downtown St. John's.

The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is set to turn on security cameras in the bar district May 1.

A dozen cameras have been installed on power poles along the bar-lined street, and police officers will be able to monitor every inch of the bar-lined street from police headquarters.

Seamus O'Keefe of the George Street Association said it's a day bar owners have been waiting for.

"We have supported it right from the get-go. There are cameras in most of the bars on George Street, so this supports what they're doing," he said.

Some people don't like the idea of being on camera when they're partying but St. John's resident Eleanor Dalton said they'll have to get used to being watched.

"Privacy doesn't really matter in a situation like that. They're on George Street, they're on a public street, so they're open game for cameras," she said Thursday.

The police force says cameras will enable officers to keep an eye on the popular strip and deter violence and vandalism.