Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Friday, October 11, launched super smart closed-circuit cameras (CCTVs) under the Smart Security City Project. It marked the second phase of Operation Kpochapu, otherwise known as Operation Wipe Out Crime. The gadgets were deployed from Industrial Video and Control in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The cameras will be installed in major cities of the state, starting with Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi.
The launch also witnessed the distribution to the various security agencies of 101 high technology vehicles and 79 hi-tech motorcycles.
The security agencies which took delivery of these vehicles included the Army, Police, Nigerian Navy, Directorate of State Security, Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigeria Correctional Service (Nigeria Prisons), the Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Federal Road Safety Commission.
The cameras which can operate within a radius of four Olympic Size football fields, are said to work efficiently at night by virtue of having infrared light.
The nation’s police chief, IGP Mohammed Adamu, took delivery of the vehicles on behalf of the security agencies.
Selected police officers had in the last two months been undergoing training on how to operate both the CCTVs and the equipment in the vehicles.
We commend the Obiano-led Government on this latest development aimed at consolidating security in the state. Under a government that has laid much emphasis on security, nothing less would have been expected from it. Therefore the latest development is very welcome.
It is also noteworthy that the state government has not elected to rest on its oars in the area of security, given the successes recorded in that area.
Indeed, the security of life and property ranks highest in the expectations of any government. While it is known that crime can never be completely eliminated, what the citizenry want to see are genuine efforts by government to address that.
It is also important to let the public know that the installation of these cameras does not mean that crimes will no longer be committed. What the cameras do is to aid the security agencies in quickly detecting crime and arresting the culprits. It is important to stress this so that the public will not have the impression that crime will vanish from the state.
A day after the launch, five people were reportedly shot dead by armed robbers in Onitsha at a petrol station. With the availability of close circuit cameras, it will be easy for the police to identify and track down the criminals in such a situation. Also with the availability of the cameras, security agencies can equally detect criminals in the act of committing crimes and move quickly against them.
However, procuring these cameras and vehicles is one thing and putting them to effective use is another. In this respect, we urge the state government to monitor the effectiveness of these gadgets and also ensure that those in charge of them do not abuse them.
Again efforts should be made to guard against these equipment being vandalized or stolen by criminal elements so that the whole idea will not be in vain.
We once more congratulate the Anambra State Government on its latest feat and urge it not to relent.
