Moises Pangelinan, branch director of G4S Secure Solutions (CNMI).
CLOSED circuit television cameras at businesses benefit the entire community, even if they come at a cost, according to Moises Pangelinan, branch director of G4S Secure Solutions (CNMI).
G4S, among other services, installs CCTV cameras at business and residential properties.
In terms of pricing, Pangelinan said it was difficult to give a simple answer about how much it would cost to install a CCTV system.
He said the cost of labor makes the prices vary, and there are also several factors that go into labor costs.
“An eight-channel camera currently on the market, on the shelf [is] maybe $900. You can buy a $900 CCTV system, but [installation price] depends on the [business’] physical layout,” Pangelinan said.
He said the layout of a given establishment will determine the number of cameras needed, as well as the amount of cable that gets routed to a network video recorder, which is a computer system that stores footage.
He said the building materials that G4S technicians would have to install are additional factors that all go into a price quotation.
Pangelinan said his technicians get paid higher than minimum wage.
CCTVs, he added, are a “great investment.”
“If you have an establishment and you put seven security guards on each corner, I can tell you I can remove four guards and I’ll replace them with a camera,” Pangelinan said.
“All the crimes being committed — you can ask the investigators when there’s a crime — the first thing they’re looking for is if there’s a camera. A camera is a deterrent and it can solve a lot of things,” he added.
Pangelinan said data recorded on camera can be reviewed, whereas eye witnesses rely on human memory.
Moreover, CCTV footage can also benefit neighboring properties, because crime occurring in the area can be caught on camera.
At this point, CCTV systems are already common on island, he said.
“I can tell you that [many] businesses have invested in cameras. If you go to any business now you’ll always see cameras,” he added.
Systems
Variety also spoke with Leith Poole regarding CCTV security camera costs.
During the pandemic, Poole was the sole proprietor of Invictus Security, which he has since closed. He installed residential and commercial surveillance systems around Saipan. Prior to opening his business on island, he worked for a decade in Texas and Colorado, installing security cameras.
Poole said when he was operating Invictus Security, the cost of a basic system began at about $300-$400.
“The systems I use typically have two [gigabytes of] memory, which provide approximately two weeks of memory,” Poole told Variety. “This can be lengthened with different settings, for example with motion activated cameras that only record when the camera senses motion. More memory can be added if desired, but 10 to 14 days is ample for most customers.”
CCTV cameras have been a topic of discussion in the community following the introduction of House Bill 23-63 or the Digital Closed Circuit Television Camera Act of 2023.
Authored by Rep. Julie Ogo, H.B. 23-63 would require all businesses in the CNMI to install colored CCTV cameras on their premises specifically in all access points, all exit points and all check-out counter points to continuously record 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The bill would also require that all recordings be safely and securely retained for 60 days.
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce said the bill “represents a potential significant hardship to small and medium-size businesses at a time when many are closing their doors due to poor economic conditions.”
The Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands called the bill “misdirected” and said that CCTV cameras should be installed at tourist sites instead.
