“Digital monitoring of the city through a command and control centre will help the police keep a watchful eye on criminal elements,” Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said at the foundation ceremony of the building of the Punjab Police Command and Control Centre at Quban Lines on Friday.
He said the centre will begin operations from September 2014. All nine divisions of the Punjab will be linked to the centre through satellite in a phased programme. He said 3,000 surveillance cameras will be installed in public places and linked to the centre. He said the centre will be autonomous and operated in a scientific manner. He thanked the Turkish government and police for their cooperation for the project.
Inspector General Police Khan Baig said 83,000 square feet of land had been allocated for the centre. He said the project would cost Rs2 billion. He said the system had been running successfully in London, Turkey and Tokyo and had greatly helped them in controlling crime, arresting criminals, monitoring law and order and speedy investigations. He said the system would also help improve traffic management.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 7th, 2013.