Thieves reportedly broke into five shops in Panaji on Thursday, which rattled local residents and the business community. It is learnt that the Panaji police have arrested three suspects at Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The burglars did a recce to survey the area and plan their robbery, the CCTV of which has gone viral on social media. Be that as it may, CCTV systems are indispensable tools which capture crucial visual evidence in crime investigation. Goa police have mapped around 7,000 CCTV cameras at private houses and establishments across more than 1,300 locations.
However, the government has not enforced any regulation requiring the sharing of such footage, leaving it to the discretion of the property owners. It must be said that CCTV footage can be useful in detecting crimes. However, live CCTV footage can prevent crimes. Most cameras have a web-based interface that allows one to access the live feed, serving as vigilant electronic eyes. Real-time CCTV footage, when available at the police stations, can go a long way in quick action by the cops in preventing burglaries and other crimes.
If the CCTV footage of the recce conducted by the thieves at Panaji was available at the police station live, the burglaries could have been prevented. Real-time monitoring of vehicle movement can also be used in order to apprehend traffic violators. Live CCTV footage can play a vital role in preventing crimes, while recorded footage is used for detecting crime.
