PATHANKOT – In the aftermath of the January 2 terrorist attack on the Air Force station, the Pathankot Police have brought the city under electronic surveillance by installing 520 cameras.
Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kaushal formed a team of senior officers, which in the last one week identified areas where these cameras were required. Once the team submitted its report, the SSP asked shopkeepers to dole out money to fix these utilities at the identified points. “We have not forced them to shell out money. They themselves came forward to help us,” he said.
The cameras have been fixed by a team of security experts. Shopkeepers, particularly those having their establishments on roads leading from the international border to the city, had no qualms in paying the money, he said. Sources say Director General of Police Suresh Arora took personal interest in the initiative.
“As of now, 520 CCTV cameras have been fixed at vantage points. Each camera costs between Rs 5,000 to 10,000 depending on the quality. We ensured a lot of publicity for the drive so that criminals become aware that they can be spotted. A sum of Rs 25 lakh has been sanctioned by the police headquarters for the installation of more such cameras. We plan to purchase 250 more devices so that not only the city but the entire district comes under surveillance,” said SSP Kaushal.
