GOING FOR A VACATION? INFORM POLICE, GET CCTV CAMERA INSTALLED AT HOUSE
In a bid to curb rising cases of burglary in the city, Uttarakhand police will now ask people going on a vacation to inform their nearest police outpost so that the men-in-khaki can keep an eye on their house. The cops will also arrange for installation of
CCTV camera at their residence.
The cost of installation of the CCTV camera would have to be borne by the family. The camera would be removed once the family is back from the trip.
For the project, cops have roped in private companies that would provide the CCTVs to the families for a nominal rent. A new CCTV camera can cost anywhere between Rs 2,000 to 2 lakh as per resolution, specifications and image quality. However, families would have to pay a minimal amount as rent which may range from Rs 200 to Rs 400 per day, police officials said.
IG Garhwal Sanjay Gunjyal told TOI, "Though CCTV cameras cannot prevent thefts, they definitely play a crucial role in cracking the case and arresting the accused. There have been a number of cases, where the culprits have been caught due to the video footage."
The senior official also pointed out that in cases of break-ins where residents were not present in the house police were informed about thefts only after the families returned from the vacation. This gives ample time to thieves to flee and even sell the stolen products, he said.
According to Gunjyal, police personnel posted at different police stations in the state capital are creating awareness among public about the initiative. "If a family informs us of their visit beforehand, we can deploy cops who can take rounds of the house each day. Besides, the CCTV cameras will capture each and every movement," added the senior police official.
Under the project, the cops did not want the people to shell out a big amount. "Affording a
CCTV camera and its installation may be out of financial bounds for some people, so were are providing the facility for a nominal amount that will go to the private companies," he added.
Nehru Colony resident Sundar Lal Pundhir welcomed the initiative by the police. "The amount being charged is nominal which people can afford. With cops paying more attention to houses when residents are not present, the possibilities of theft will drop. Most of the time when we go out of town on a trip, the fear of theft is always there. This is a praiseworthy initiative," he added.
A spate of robberies in the first three months of the year has instilled fear among locals. In the latest incident, cash and jewellery was stolen from a businessman's house on Saturday after which three policemen were summoned to Police Lines for negligence of duty. Twenty-nine break-ins have been reported in the state capital in the first three months of 2016.
Earlier in 2014, a large number of elderly citizens in Dehradun had taken to installing CCTV cameras in their houses after a 21-year-old man had hacked to death his 65-year-old businessman father and three other kin, one of whom was a three-year-old girl.
