Police CCTV Cameras to integrate public and private CCTVs for crime detection

By Sunil Jayasiri  

The Police department has decided to enhance crime detection by integrating public and private CCTV camera systems with the Police CCTV camera system, a senior police officer said.  
In the initial stage, around 2000 CCTV cameras from private entities, including residences in Colombo city, will be linked to the police’s camera network.   

This initiative will be carried out in collaboration with interested participants. Individuals and private companies with CCTV systems are encouraged to connect their cameras to the Police CCTV system in Colombo, the official said.  
As the second stage, steps will be taken to integrate the police camera system with cameras across the country.   
While there is a notable presence of cameras in homes and private establishments in Colombo, their current impact on crime prevention is deemed minimal. The police department has only 176 CCTV cameras.  
Accordingly, direction has been issued to implement the programme as soon as possible.