PSCA to integrate housing societies’ CCTVs

Govt approves move to expand surveillance capability with rising population

LAHORE:

The provincial government has approved linking of the CCTV cameras installed in all housing societies approved by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) with Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA). 

PSCA Chief Operating Officer Kamran Khan said the decision had been taken in view of the increase in population and the need to expand the surveillance capability.

The step will help to control crimes and maintain law and order in the city, Kamran Khan added.  He chaired a meeting with representatives of private housing societies at the PSCA Headquarters on Tuesday.

The official disclosed in the meeting that the already installed CCTV cameras in the private housing societies would be connected with the authority in the first phase. 

He told the participants of the meeting that standard policy guidelines approved by the LDA for integration of the surveillance system with the Punjab Police Integrated Command, Control and Communication Centre (PPIC3) in Lahore had also been issued. 

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“The guidelines need to be implemented," Khan added. The safe cities authority will share its security experience and audit system with the housing societies. The PSCA proposed enhancement of the safety and security of the people throughout the city by integrating the surveillance systems of approved societies with the PPIC3 through the dedicated optic fibre cable.

Khan further said the move would help centralise data gathering and improve the police response time and investigation. It will not hamper the current functioning of the housing societies’ surveillance system and will only be used for tracing criminals when required by law enforcement agencies (LEAs), he added. 

The routine monitoring, ownership and maintenance of the surveillance system will solely be the responsibility of the housing societies, said DIG Kamran Khan.

The private housing societies expressed interest in the integration of cameras with the PSCA. However, thousands of CCTV cameras already in- stalled by the PSCA are reportedly dysfunctional. 

The sources said the authority had developed a financial dispute with a company engaged for installation, repair and maintenance of the cameras. They said the issue of renewal of the contract had been referred to a cabinet committee.