By Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI, Sept 2: Punjab government has released Rs70 million to install crime-fighting Close Circuit Television (CCTV) and surveillance cameras in shopping malls and at busy roads in the five big cities — including Rawalpindi to improve policing.
The provincial government provided 100 CCTV cameras to install in different areas of the city to improve the surveillance system.
The government will provide 200 such cameras in the second phase to install in the city and cantonment areas to improve public safety.
The Rawalpindi police had demanded 300 CCTV cameras to install at five big markets and main roads in the city and identified them as Benazir Bhutto Road, Air Port Road, Peshawar road, Katchery Chowk and Raja Bazaar.
While the CCTV cameras will also be installed at Commercial Market Satellite Town, Old Sarafa Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Bank Road and Tench Bhatta.
The surveillance cameras will also be installed all along the traditional routes of Aushura and other religious processions starting from Raja Bazaar – Banni to Satellite Town.
When contacted, superintendent of police (SP) Israr Abbasi confirmed that Punjab government have released the funds to install Close Circuit Television cameras in five big cities – Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan and Rawalpindi.
He said the aim to install the crime-fighting and surveillance cameras in markets and along main roads was to check vehicle theft, movements of suspicious people, purse snatching and robberies, checking of vehicles and other people at the entry and exit points of the city.
The SP said: “The crime-fighting CCTV cameras and surveillance cameras are installed to make people realise they were being policed.”
The SP said a main control room will be established at the Police Lines Headquarters to control the CCTV cameras.
In the first phase, 100 cameras will be installed in the city.
In 2005, the citizen community board (CCB) had installed the 45 CCTV and surveillance cameras alongside the three major roads – The Mall, Bank Road and Haider Road to help the police to improve the security situation.
A control room was setup at the Cantonment police station to monitor the people and other movements taking place in the high security zone, although majority of these cameras have been lying un-functional at the present and do not have a backup system to keep them functioning during loadshedding.
Casting doubt on the ability of the crime-fighting cameras to help prevent crimes, he said: “We have the facility of cameras recording vehicles and movements of other people – only for three major roads.”
A senior police officer said that the CCTV cameras would be very effective provided they are functioning and their recording/footage is utilised by police in their investigation into crime cases.
Police believe that the surveillance cameras would be very helpful for the city traffic police as well, as whenever a traffic accident takes place, the in-charge of the control room watching the crime scene on the CCTV monitor, immediately calls the nearby police patrol and asks them to rush to the scene to help the victims.
(Daily Dawn)