SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews/27 June)—Saying it could deter criminality, the City Development Council (CDC) here has urged city hall to allocate funds for the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in strategic places of the locality, particularly at the central business district.
The CDC approved Resolution 2 Series of 2013, requesting the City Peace and Order Council to appropriate funds for the purchase of CCTVs.
Supt. Joseph Nohara, city police chief, told MindaNews Thursday that the installation of the CCTVs will enhance the capacity of the local police in fighting criminality.
Aside from enhancing their monitoring capability, he said that footages taken by the CCTVs can be used as evidence in pursing lawbreakers in court.
“Due to the lack of funds to purchase CCTVs cameras, the city police office resorts to the deployment of police personnel in strategic areas. However, its sustainability remains a challenge due to the perennial lack of manpower of the city police force,” he said.
Nohara said the resolution, which was approved last Friday, called for the funding of at least 20 CCTVs.
He said that he spoke with Mayor Ernesto Matugas, who assured him that the city government would allocate funds for the project.
Nohara stressed that the installment of the CCTVs will be done this year.
In pushing for the CCTV project, the police official noted that some businesses in the city were hit by robberies while some were burglarized.
Among the robbery victims were LBC, a courier company, in Rizal Street and Parinas Jewelry store in Kaimo Street. The jewelry store lost P5 million to the robbers, who also killed one of its workers.
Willie Gan, president of the Surigao Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed the planl to set up CCTVs in the business district.
While majority of the chamber’s members have their own CCTV, Gan said that the CCTVs from the city government will help the police monitor possible crimes in the streets.
CCTVs can help our police thwart or solve crimes, he said. (Roel Catoto/MindaNews)