Corporation to install CCTV cameras across city

KOCHI: In the wake of growing incidents of attack on women, reports of missing children and littering in streets, Kochi corporation is planning to install surveillance cameras in the city. Mayor Soumini Jain informed the corporation council that the cameras would be installed in association with various law enforcing agencies like police and motor vehicles department (MVD).
Councillors like P D Martin and Premakumar as well as opposition leader K J Antony raised the issue in the council on Wednesday. They said that installing CCTV cameras in the streets could be useful in checking child crimes. The mayor said that the suggestion would be considered. “Earlier, the corporation had a plan to install surveillance cameras in the streets. The plan was to install cameras on the LED lamp posts. But the government didn’t give nod for the proposal. Later, it become the responsibility of the law enforcing agencies to install surveillance cameras. So, the local body would take up the project,” Soumini said.
“Now, we can revive the project. We can seek the help of law enforcing agencies also,” she said.
Premakumar said that the money for installing surveillance cameras should be spent from plan fund. Councillor C D Valsalakumari said that the public are panicstricken following the reports of children being kidnapped. “Black stickers are being stamped on the doors of houses and anganwadis. There should be measures to allay the fears of the public,” Valsalakumari said. Councillor Gracy Joseph said that installing CCTV cameras in the market area could reduce the dumping of waste there.
Though police had installed CCTV cameras in various strategic points and junctions in the city, most of them are defunct now. As per an RTI reply by Kochi city police, 55 of the 99 surveillance cameras in the city are defunct. The defunct cameras that require urgent maintenance include 19 dome cameras and 36 fixed cameras.