Cops ask Sector 57 RWA to install CCTV cameras

Concerned about the rising incidence of chain-snatching and house-breaking by organised criminal gangs, the Sector 56 police has advised the residents’ welfare association(RWA)

Concerned about the rising incidence of chain-snatching and house-breaking by organised criminal gangs, the Sector 56 police has advised the residents’ welfare association(RWA) Sector 57 to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras for crime prevention and better management of law and order.

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The move was felt to be necessary after a 67-year-old retired professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was brutally attacked at her residence in Sector 57 on Thursday afternoon by an unidentified man posing as a courier delivery person, said the police.

As per police officials, they could not get any lead on the suspect as all the three CCTV cameras in the area were defunct.

KK Rao, commissioner of police, said that police patrolling has been strengthened in the area and motorbike patrolling has been increased. Sector 56 police officers have been instructed to advice the members of the local RWA to install CCTV cameras for better management of law and order. The presence of CCTV cameras also acts as a deterrent against crimes, he added.

A team of police and residents took a round of the area after the incident on Thursday and identified at least 18 such spots where CCTV cameras were required to be installed.

The police said high-definition (HD) CCTV cameras are required on the street. The CCTV cameras along with the control room set-up will cost nearly ₹3 lakh and the RWA will have to foot the bill.

Joginder Singh, a former RWA president, said that they had earlier also planned to install cameras but the necessary funds could be raised. “We will again approach all the residents and request them to contribute money for their safety,” he said.

Rao added that CCTV cameras installed at a gap of 500 metres would help to keep a tab on unidentified and suspected persons.

Rao said he has asked all station house officers(SHOs) to organise public interaction with RWAs in various parts of the city, and include senior citizens in the meetings. Such meetings were held on Saturday in Palam Vihar, Sector 5 and Sohna Road, wherein the police officers stressed on the need of installing CCTV cameras.

Attar Singh Ruhil, vice president of RWA, said that they have requested the developer, Ansal Buildwell, to contribute and help them in securing their lanes. The cameras are required in the vulnerable spots from where the maximum number of cases of snatching and thefts have been reported. “Once the cameras are installed it will help in curbing crime and making residents feel more safe, he said.

Ajay Pandita, vice president, Ansal Buildwell Limited said that they have already installed CCTV cameras in certain locations in the area and are ready to support police and RWA members. “We have intensified security in the area and asked security guards to alert police in case they find anything suspicious in the area. We will increase the guards so that all lanes can be covered,” he said.