Kochi: The series of robberies in the city and on its outskirts has pointed to the need for setting up a network of CCTV cameras for effective surveillance. The corporation councillors have taken up the issue with the mayor and pressed the authorities concerned to either replace or repair the defunct ones. The city police, in cooperation with Keltron, had installed 99 cameras at strategic points in the city in three phases from 2010. But most of them are located along national highways and busy junctions, leaving other areas unmonitored.
"Considering the recent increase in the crime rate in the city, more cameras have to be installed at various locations. Since residents' associations can't bear the cost of installing and maintaining CCTV cameras, the corporation should extend them support," said UDF councillor Thambi Subrahmaniam. The residents' associations have installed nearly 100 surveillance cameras in many parts of the city at their own cost. "Though the cameras are not connected to the police control room, visuals are being recorded and stored for a specific time period," said Mr P. Rangadasa Prabhu, president of Ernakulam District Residents' Association Apex Council.
Mr Suresh Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (control room), told DC that plans were afoot to install more cameras so that the entire city is brought under surveillance. "Of the 99 cameras, seven have been dismantled to facilitate Metro construction works. Recently, many cameras became defunct as the corporation's contract workers cut the cables indiscriminately as part of removing private agencies' cables. The cables have been repaired," he said. Town planning committee chairperson Shainy Mathew said many cameras in West Kochi were not functional.
