CATBALOGAN CITY — This city will soon complete the installation of the first set of 90 units of Smart CCTVs scattered in major areas within the City — for security, law enforcement, and yes, for Sanitation purposes.
Though a work-in-progress, and its guidelines are yet being laid out accordingly, City Mayor Dexter Uy here, expressed confidence that the city’s new network of smart CCTVs will significantly help, both as a deterrent and solution, to most of the city’s social problems.
“Initially, para kunta ine ha aton traffic ngan seguridad, pero nakikita naton nga puwede naton ine magamit ha aton problema ha pagtaga-basura, ngan ginpapa estudyohan na ine naton yana pinaagi hin Technical Working Group, basi ma-maximize naton an gamit hine nga mga Smart CCTVs”, Mayor Uy informed.
The 90 units of Smart CCTVs is on top of the existing network of CCTVs that were previously installed in some parts of the city’s downtown area.
According to Mayor Uy, the new CCTVs were top of the line models, and the same as that of the Smart CCTVs being used in several highly urbanized areas in the NCR.
These are equipped with high resolution and color cameras, which are capable of capturing clear images even in low light or during night time.
But aside from using it for non-contact traffic apprehensions, the concept of using the cameras on recording and identifying violators of Solid Waste and other ordinances in the Barangays, and the implementation of the city’s Anti-littering and other Sanitation-related Ordinances, are also is being studied.
City Administrator Dennis Cosmod in an interview yesterday, said that at the moment, the TWG are reviewing all of the city government’s related ordinances to check on how the Smart CCTVs can complement in the implementation of said local laws.
He particularly pointed out the legality of using it, and how the existing ordinances are worded in relation to the use of new technologies as part of the implementation.
“Yana nakalatag na iton, like han aton Anti-Littering, Anti-Urination, an Anti-Defecation, Solid Waste, pati an Anti-Smoking ngan iba nga mga Ordinansa, ginkikita pa lugaring kun diin dapit puwede makasulod an aton Smart CCTVs ngan kun tipaunano, including of course an Legalities”, Mr. Cosmod explained.
“Once the legalities are mapped out, that will be our basis in coming up with the guidelines, and if there is a need to add new Ordinances to this effect, it will be forwarded to the SP”, he added.
Mayor Uy also explained, that using the Smart CCTVs in the identification and subsequent apprehension of violators of solid waste or sanitation ordinances, is way different from the non-contact apprehension of traffic violators.
“An ha traffic kasi mayda na gidaan mga registered Body Numbers, mayda liwat mga Plaka, so kinahanlan talaga hiya estudyaran ha parte han Sanitation, maaram ako nga dire hiya madali, pero kun makikig-kooperar iton mga Barangay, ha akon abat, dako iton bulig hine ha aton implementasyon han mga Ordinansa ha pagtaga Basura ngan Sanitasyon”, Mayor Uy said.
With all the possibilities being explored, Mayor Uy expressed confidence that the technical working group will soon come out with feasible guidelines, and in no time, the Smart CCTVs will significantly boost the city’s campaign against violators of local sanitation and solid waste laws, on top of its prime purpose which is for security and traffic purposes. (Rommel L. Rutor)
