BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police has directed all residential welfare associations (RWAs) in Twin City Bhubaneswar and Cuttack to mandatorily install IP-enabled CCTV cameras on the premises of their apartment complexes to enhance safety and deter crimes.
The Twin City police have also started identifying the apartment complexes where the associations have failed to install these cameras and affixing notices on such premises.
Police said all RWAs in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack had been asked last year to install IP-enabled CCTV cameras on their apartment premises as part of a safer Twin City drive. However, some of the associations have not complied with their request while in some other apartments, the CCTVs are lying defunct, police said.
Accordingly, an order has been issued under the provisions of Odisha Urban Police Act 2003 to the RWAs concerned, who have failed to install the cameras or have defunct cameras, asking them to install IP-enabled cameras on their premises at the earliest.
The RWAs have also been asked to submit the status of their installations to their nearest police stations. They have been asked to ensure proper maintenance of the CCTVs. As per the order, they will have to give an explanation in case of occurrence of any offence on their apartment premises in the absence of CCTV cameras.
Police said the modern IP cameras, that can send and receive data over a network, not only provide real-time surveillance but also assist in quick evidence collection during investigation. These cameras are also easily accessible from the CCTV monitoring centre of the Commissionerate Police, they said.
“The resident welfare associations have been asked to install these cameras without delay. Timely installation of surveillance systems can significantly strengthen neighbourhood security,” said Bhubaneswar DCP Jagmohan Meena.