Security concerns: Lack of night vision cameras makes DHA prone to nocturnal criminal activities

Investigations were delayed into an encounter in the area because of lack of night-vision cameras.

KARACHI: The closed-circuit surveillance cameras (CCTV) installed in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) lack night vision capability, making the area prone to nocturnal criminal activity, The Express Tribune has learnt.

According to Clifton SP Sarfaraz Nawaz, DHA did not have any night-vision cameras despite the fact that the area is more vulnerable to crime during the night time compared to during the day. “The area has normal cameras that give blurry vision at night,” he told The Express Tribune.



SP Nawaz was of the view that despite the issue, DHA was better protected than other areas because they at least had security cameras which they had purchased on their own.

“A crime scene is difficult to capture unless extra lights are placed on walls close to the CCTV cameras,” he explained.

Referring to an encounter near Captain Farhan Shaheed Park at Sea View, the SP said that DHA had already informed them that the CCTV cameras were incapable of capturing visions at night, adding that the cameras installed by the police also lacked night-vision.

DHA Residents Association’s vice-president Asad Qizilbash confirmed that the CCTV cameras fail to function properly at night. “During a visit to the command and control centre at the DHA office, we were informed that DHA would replace the existing cameras with night vision ones in the near future,” he said.



On 24 April this year, a police constable and his friend were killed during an encounter near Village Restaurant. Following the incident, the court ordered the constitution of an inquiry team to investigate the killings and also sought a video footage of the incident. However, the DHA informed later that the CCTV cameras installed at the site did not have night-vision.

DHA has 120 cameras

According to a DHA official, most of the cameras installed in the area had night-vision, however, some of them were normal ones too, including the camera near Village Restaurant. The housing authority has installed 120 cameras at all entry and exit points of the neighbourhood to provide a safe environment to its residents, claimed an official.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2013.