The Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) lines up Close Circuit Television (CCTV) as among its priority projects for implementation in the west, north, and southbound areas.
Davao City Public Safety and Security Head Angel Sumagaysay, in a media forum held last July 6, 2023, said that his office has submitted the Comprehensive CCTV plan for implementation.
“Ang alam ko naga-take off na siya, of course, it is a huge infrastructure project. So hopefully pag ma-materialize na siya, intended for the west, north, and southbound na installation, dako na siya nga tabang (As far as I know, it is taking off, of course, it is a huge infrastructure project. So hopefully once it materializes, intended for the west, north, and southbound installation, it will really be a huge help),” Sumagaysay said.
Sumagaysay said that they are coordinating with the City Mayor’s Office and other local government offices for the plan’s implementation.
He said that currently, about 100 CCTV cameras are installed within the city, and based on the latest inventory, four are non-operational due to factors beyond the office’s control.
“Upat lang ang down nato whole downtown (Only four are down in the whole downtown),” Sumagaysay said.
Sumagaysay said that they made sure that areas, such as the newly opened first segment of the Coastal Road, are “ICT-ready” so that CCTVs can be easily installed.
“During the construction of the coastal road, we requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to include in their preparations the ICT,” Sumagaysay said, adding that the preparation includes installation of some pipes, and this is accomplished.
He said that the CCTV for security is not the same as traffic cameras.
Complementary to this project, the office also pushes an amendment to the city ordinance to improve CCTV footage in establishments and put up a standard requirement for mounting these cameras.
“Ang elevation, ang pagplastar, ang specs amo nana nga gi-suggest (The elevation, the placement, and the specs, we already made suggestions),” Sumagaysay said.
He said that compliance with the suggested standards will greatly help in capturing clear camera footage that can be used by law enforcers for crime investigations.
They also proposed, as a part of the amendment, a provision that establishments should allow law enforcers to access their CCTV recordings.
“Pag hot pursuit, time is of the essence,” Sumagaysay said, adding that there are cases wherein establishments take time in giving the copy because of various reasons.
“In a matter of seconds and minutes, layo na kaayo ang difference. Dili pud pwede nga i-lock down ang city so may time pud siya. Hopefully, maintindihan sa atong kaigsoonan ang dakong tabang sa law enforcers (In a matter of seconds and minutes, it will have a huge difference. The city can’t also be locked down so there is also that time element. Hopefully, they can understand the huge help it can offer to our law enforcers),” Sumagaysay added. CIO
