City covered by camera: Parkop

THE capital city is now fully covered by surveillance cameras to help prevent and detect crime in public places, National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says.
“We can now monitor illegal activities in notorious places like the Gordon and Koki markets, Badili, Boroko and other places that are prone to petty crimes like bag-snatching,” he said.
Parkop, when commissioning the Royal PNG Constabulary closed-circuit television (CCTV) Control Centre at Oakley Haus in Hohola on Friday, said Port Moresby was one of the legacies of the Apec Leaders’ Summit.
“Our city is already covered by CCTV. It is almost 100 per cent. It can go very local and specific. It can get images of individuals. This setup cost us K42 million,” he said.
Parkop said long-range cameras could track down activities at roundabouts and even markets, citing petty crime hotspots like Badili, 2-Mile, Koki, Gordon and others.
Parkop said the commission’s areas of most concern were betel nuts vending and spittle, and graffiti, while the Central and metropolitan command’s were bigger crimes.
Parkop is warning parents to take responsibility of their children who were engaged in vandalising private and public properties with spray paints as they will be caught using the CCTV capabilities.
Parkop extended the warning to street and betel nuts vendors and chewers, saying once the magisterial stream and police prosecution units were dedicated to the commission, they would be prosecuted.
He urged them to change their behaviour to be on the safe side.
He thanked the Apec Secretariat for handing over the facility to the police so the NCD Commission reservists could work in collaboration with them to clamp down on criminals and illegal vendors.
Parkop said cameras worked well for many cities around the world.
Despite the challenges, he said the facilities were being worked to full capacity.
He thanked Metropolitan Supt Perou N’dranou and police commissioner Gari Baki for working with the commission.
N’dranou said now that they had the system in place, they needed to work together.
“Our communication operation from Boroko was here for one week. The general public can call us on 3249900 to report crimes or any other offences committed in the city.”