The CCTV cameras that were installed to help monitor criminal activity in Islamabad have been victims of theft themselves raising serious concerns as to the effectiveness of the surveillance infrastructure that is in place in Islamabad.
In a recent incident, a facial recognition camera installed at the Faizabad Metro Station went missing under unexplained circumstances.
A complaint has been filed at the Industrial Area Police Station on the complaint of a Safe City coordinator.
It was first installed to test the camera but on April 19, the camera suddenly went offline, according to the First Information Report (FIR).
When a technical team was sent to investigate the problem at the location, they found that the camera was no longer at the location.
Additional research consisted of examining backup video, which showed an unknown person messing with the machine.
According to the FIR, the suspect would be easily identified by the camera, and this would give the law enforcement agencies a lead.
The police have initiated an investigation and are making efforts to track down and arrest the suspect.
The theft has cast doubts on the safety of surveillance devices that are intended to improve the safety of the people.
This is not a one-time situation. This is not the first time that a similar incident has been reported within the jurisdiction of Khanna Police Station where another surveillance camera was stolen.
Nonetheless, that case is still unsolved, which contributes to the fears related to the recurring vulnerabilities of the system.
The government has now been pressurised to not only get back the stolen devices but also ensure better security of such devices in future.
Also read: Islamabad Police: Safe City cameras no longer using Israeli software
