Bhubaneswar: Amid a spurt in robberies in apartments across the city, the commissionerate police have advised gated housing societies to adopt advanced technology to keep thieves at bay.
Robberies in several apartments have been reported under different police station limits in the last four months, leaving the security establishment red-faced and citizens worried.
On Sunday, the police held an interface with the office-bearers of several housing societies and asked them not to compromise with their security system. Police said a fresh safety advisory would be issued for them.
“Advanced technology like CCTV cameras that can raise an alarm during suspicious movements late in the night should be installed by societies. Many apartments have CCTV cameras, but the video footage is hazy and unclear. This makes it difficult for us to identify suspects,” commissioner of police Sanjeeb Panda said.
He said a list of licensed private security agencies would be uploaded on the website of the city police to help societies hire trained and professional guards.
“We will introduce a system on our website, allowing housing societies to rate security agencies on the basis of their services. This will encourage other agencies to improve their services. We will also identify safe housing societies by conducting an audit of their security systems and felicitate them regularly,” the police commissioner told TOI.
During the interaction, office-bearers of societies urged the police to issue a direction to builders to strengthen the perimeter security.
“We have been urging our builder to elevate the height of the outer boundary and replace the old CCTV cameras with advanced ones. But the builder does not pay heed to our requests. If the police issue an order in writing, such builders will then comply,” said Pradipta Hota, secretary of a housing society in Nayapalli area.
K C Prusty, office-bearer of a housing society in Patia area, said the police should improve their patrolling and respond to crisis situations.
Deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh said all police stations have been strictly asked to regularly visit the housing societies in their areas for audit of the security systems. DCP said the police have made some vital breakthroughs in the investigation of robbery cases and would arrest the burglars soon.
Robberies in several apartments have been reported under different police station limits in the last four months, leaving the security establishment red-faced and citizens worried.
On Sunday, the police held an interface with the office-bearers of several housing societies and asked them not to compromise with their security system. Police said a fresh safety advisory would be issued for them.
“Advanced technology like CCTV cameras that can raise an alarm during suspicious movements late in the night should be installed by societies. Many apartments have CCTV cameras, but the video footage is hazy and unclear. This makes it difficult for us to identify suspects,” commissioner of police Sanjeeb Panda said.
He said a list of licensed private security agencies would be uploaded on the website of the city police to help societies hire trained and professional guards.
“We will introduce a system on our website, allowing housing societies to rate security agencies on the basis of their services. This will encourage other agencies to improve their services. We will also identify safe housing societies by conducting an audit of their security systems and felicitate them regularly,” the police commissioner told TOI.
During the interaction, office-bearers of societies urged the police to issue a direction to builders to strengthen the perimeter security.
“We have been urging our builder to elevate the height of the outer boundary and replace the old CCTV cameras with advanced ones. But the builder does not pay heed to our requests. If the police issue an order in writing, such builders will then comply,” said Pradipta Hota, secretary of a housing society in Nayapalli area.
K C Prusty, office-bearer of a housing society in Patia area, said the police should improve their patrolling and respond to crisis situations.
Deputy commissioner of police Prateek Singh said all police stations have been strictly asked to regularly visit the housing societies in their areas for audit of the security systems. DCP said the police have made some vital breakthroughs in the investigation of robbery cases and would arrest the burglars soon.