KARACHI: The Sindh police have set up a fleet of 100 mobile vans equipped with surveillance cameras to help the law enforcement agency record crime scenes while patrolling, snap-checking or raiding any criminal hideout, it emerged on Thursday.

Sources privy to the development said the move had been initiated earlier this year to expand the ‘video surveillance system’ project, which also included installation of more cameras along the city’s roads that had already some 1,000 cameras, jointly owned by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Sindh police but solely operated by the law enforcement agency.

“The process of installation of cameras in police mobile vans had been initiated a few months ago. Initially, 100 vans in use of different units were selected for the purpose. The project has been completed. In fact it’s an ongoing process as more vans will be equipped with cameras but the initial target of 100 vehicles has been met,” said a source citing details of the project.

He said the vans with cameras were handed over to special units of the Karachi police, which were using them on experimental basis. A number of vans, he said, had also been handed over to selected police stations.

“The cameras installed in the mobile vans can record round the clock movement around the vehicle. It can also zoom in and out while being connected to the command and control centre at the Central Police Office through broadband service. Any policeman in the van can handle its functions very well,” he added.

The Sindh police launched in 2010 the ‘video surveillance system’ for Karachi with Rs500 million estimated cost. The project was further expanded when the law enforcement agency announced another Rs846 million project to install more cameras at important locations in the city in addition to the 1,000 to be able to meet enhance security and help make the ongoing ‘targeted operation’ a success.

Apart from its own surveillance system, the Karachi police also supervise the KMC’s command and control centre at Civic Centre since the Sindh government took its control from the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee and gave to police a day after the federal government announced launch of the Rangers-led ‘targeted-operation’ in the city in September 2013.

“The project was designed to cover the surveillance required for law enforcement in the city but in the emerging situation it may also help keep watch over the police vans, which have lately become a soft target for hit men,” said the source.

He said that most of the police vans fitted with cameras were in the custody of Muhafiz Force and some were being used by other specialised units. In the next phase, the source said, at least one mobile van of each police station would be equipped with a surveillance camera.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014