Power outages, nonfunctional solar street lights, and road construction works are affecting the effectiveness of the Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV Cameras) installed by police in the Acholi Sub Region.
There are many CCTV Cameras installed at different locations in the Aswa River Region, mainly installed within major towns and Gulu City to monitor the security situation and help respond to and intercept crime incidences.
Video footage from the cameras can also be requested by the courts and used as evidence to implicate criminal suspects who were apprehended from the region.
The different monitoring command centers include those at Gulu University, Gulu Central Police Station, Pabbo, Attiak, Elegu, and Nimule.
For effective data collection and capturing of footage, the CCTV Cameras and command centers require constant lighting, supply of power, and internet connectivity.
However, Steward Kalokwera the Regional CCTV Cameras Operator for Aswa River Region disclosed that this is being affected by regular blackouts, non-functionality of the solar street lights and interruption of internet connectivity due to road construction works yet they are vital for their operations.
The internet connections are connected to the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) backbone which is underground.
Kalokwera explained that often, the CCTV cameras have failed to record incidences especially during evening hours and at night due to darkness in the areas where they are located noting that the solar street lights would have been vital in providing lights at such times.
He added that the challenge has been amplified by the persistent power outage which has often left the town and municipalities in total darkness rendering the cameras -most of which have no infra-red capability – useless at some points.
Kalokwera notes that sometimes the command centers also get plunged into total darkness hence they cease capturing data whenever the power goes off since their backup power supplies last not more than one hour.
The CCTV Camera command centers and their points of installation also require constant internet connectivity to link them however, Kalokwera says that some of the lines which were damaged by the ongoing road works.
This means that the command centers at that time fail to capture footage from the different cameras.
David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa River Region affirms that CCTV Cameras are key for monitoring security situations, capturing incidents, and connecting the patrol teams so that crimes are intercepted.
Last month the Deputy Speaker of Gulu City, Lamex Odong doubted the effectiveness of the CCTV Cameras based on facts that different road installations within the city are being destroyed and stolen, and people are attacked yet the cameras do not capture the perpetrators.
Damalie Nachuha, the Aswa River Region Police Commander said that recently issued an alert for a vehicle stolen from Kenya which led to its recovery from Nwoya district in Northern Uganda.
Last year also the CCTV Cameras led to the arrest of a suspected witchcraft practitioner who was nabbed performing dubious rituals at Kaunda Grounds in Gulu City.URN
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