MAPUSA
Burglars broke into four offices at a building in Altinho-Mapusa but could only lay their hands on small amounts of money. However, the police have expressed concern about the poor security facilities at this six-storeyed building.
The incident of theft came to light on Friday morning when the owners and employees of the offices arrived in the building to begin work for the day. The burglars reportedly tried to break into four offices on the third, fourth and sixth floors of the building. They, however only decamped with a small amount of money and the owners of the respective offices did not file a complaint with the police as only petty cash was stolen.
Mapusa police expressed surprise that though there are 30-40 shops in the six-storeyed building, there is no proper security system in the building, especially at night. A security guard is deployed by the builder during the day time but is on duty only till 7 pm. After that, no one is posted at the building on night security duty.
Moreover, the gate at the entrance of the building is not even locked. Also, apart from two shops on the ground floor, CCTV cameras have not been installed on any floor of the building. Sources said the Mapusa police will instruct the building owner to set up better security systems in the building.
Public CCTVs out of order in city
The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) had set up a network of CCTV cameras in the city but due to lack of maintenance, they went out of order and since 2018, these cameras have not been of any use.
A decision by the MMC in 2019 regarding the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic places in the city has not yet been implemented. As a result, the absence of CCTV footage in major public places and establishments in the city has hindered the police in cracking down on theft and other crimes.
