4,000 Safe City Cameras offline due to lack of funds

Unable to obtain footage, officers are facing problems in completing case investigations

LAHORE: As many as 4,000 cameras out of 8,000 went offline due to the non-issuance of funds for the Safe City Project, authorities said.

Reportedly, the closure of the cameras has put sensitive installations and public security at stake. Authorities stated that the project has played a vital role in the past in tracking cases of terrorism and serious crime.

Law expert Syed Farhan Ali Shah while speaking to The Express Tribune called ‘Safe City’ a project on a par with international standards.

He said that the Punjab Safe Cities Authority Act 2016 was passed to make cities in the province safe.

“The cameras installed under the project, if functional, would have benefitted the police in fighting crime,” he added.

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Shah believes that the footage of the Safe City cameras is technologically advanced too which could help law enforcement agencies identify suspects and criminals through the online system.

On the contrary, the concerned departments have reservations regarding the project, particularly related to the deputation of wardens on the roads. From the beginning to the completion of the project, the authorities have been claiming that the role of a traffic warden would end with the installation of the cameras.

Though the cameras have been installed on several places an investigation officer has to pass through the difficult phase to obtain the footage of the suspects involved in various crimes.

Authorities said that not only challans would be issued for violating the traffic laws after remote monitoring, but also extended time would be given to the signals during rush hours to allow the traffic to pass through. However, owing to the faulty system and vehicle data sharing issues with the excise department, this part of the project could not be completed.

The problems faced by the investigation officers for obtaining the footage were obstructions in completing the investigation of the cases. Despite direct surveillance, the response teams could not reach the crime sites immediately. The crimes in various incidents were monitored directly but the police teams could not intervene on time.

Several station house officers and in-charge investigations told The Express Tribune that the policy of the officers deputed on the Safe City Authority is complicated.

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Reportedly, it is mandatory to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) to obtain footage from the Safe City cameras. Later on, the investigation officer along with the plaintiff identifies the footage after visiting the office of the Safe City Authority and obtains it.

As per the Punjab Safe Cities Authority Ordinance 2015, the PML-N government had initiated the project to improve the security and traffic management system, but owing to the rift between the police and bureaucracy there are numerous issues.

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar had issued orders to the Punjab police to continue the command of the Safe City Project. Former Lahore CCPO Chaudhry Shafiq while speaking to The Express Tribune said that all the present police officers deterring crimes in the jurisdiction of all police stations should request the installation of Safe City cameras.

“This would not only substantially assist in identifying the suspect but would increase the security of the city by manifold.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th, 2020.