South Goa SP Allen D’Sa may have a fixation for CCTVcameras. The SP has been requesting various individuals and businessmen toinstall Close Circuit Television Cameras for better surveillance andmonitoring. But is anyone monitoring the CCTV cameras 24x7? The answer is anemphatic, no.
Over the last one year, police department has issuedguidelines requesting installation of CCTV cameras on mining routes, churchesand temples, railways stations, jewellery shops, banks and now the shacks.
“Police guidelines for CCTV installation appeals forinstallation of night vision Ultra Violet ray’s cameras that covers all angleswith remote viewing, besides recording of CCTV footage and uninterrupted powersupply so that surveillance continues round the clock,” said Fr Antonio Costawho has spent almost Rs 4 lakhs to install 18 cameras around the St AndrewsChurch, Vasco.
SP, Allen D’Sa however asserted that he wants people tofollow guidelines especially in crowded and high risk areas. But the challengelies in the cost. “This time we called all Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal organisersto install CCTV’s. They pointed out it was too expensive and asked us toinstall the cameras,” the SP said.
DySP South, Mohan Naik admits that CCTV footage is checkedonly if a crime occurs for face recognition. “The police have no mechanism toreview data stored since it is too voluminous in nature,” he disclosed.
“Installing CCTV’s is not an end solution to securityproblems. In Mumbai, police install CCTV’s with footage made available at thenearest police station which is continuously and remotely monitored. Herepolice want us to record only to watch the footage later after the theft iscommitted. CCTV in such situations is needless,” asserts Rajesh Naik,Sarvajanik Ganesh organizer from Quepem.
Similarly outgoing tourism director and IAS officer, SamuelMattews laughed at previous government’s idea to install CCTV cameras onbeaches. “The mindset of the government in Goa and the people is that CCTV is asolution to all security issues. People across the globe are smart and know howto avoid cameras,” Samuel had said. Laughing at the government’s decision,Samuel’s asserted that policing and surveillance needs to improve. “Watchingover everybody is no solution to beef up security,” he said.
Senior Public Relations Manager, BabanGhate of KonkanRailway boasts of how Margao has 20 CCTV cameras’s installed, which capturesfootage across the railway station but quickly admits that the Railway PoliceForce does not monitor the footage on a timely basis.
