Pondaites demand CCTVs to help solve crimes in town

Team Herald

PONDA: Ponda Police are under pressure from Pondaites with house burglaries, bike thefts and chain snatching on the rise in Ponda Taluka.

Besides houses being broken into, the robbers have now turned their eyes on shops in Ponda and Marcela. While the Ponda Police have managed to crack some of the chain-snatching incidents, many other cases are still not solved.

Some of the police officials also complained that they are not getting the needed support from the locals and societies which have several flats.

“The main junctions in the town need CCTVs. People are also shying away from installing CCTVs in their society premises. These are a big help when it comes to solving burglaries,” said a police official.

Viraj Sapre was first to demand CCTV system, a decade back. Although, the cameras were installed from the MP Fund five years back, most of them are non-functional and no one cares to repair the CCTVs. Non-maintenance has also been the main cause of their functioning.

Sapre said that the government should restore the CCTV system in Ponda. 

“Installing the cameras will not only help police detect crimes but also help bring in discipline in traffic and check encroachments on the footpaths,” said Sapre.

“It is important that the town creates a sense of security and also help police detect crimes. There are around 40 jewellery shops in the Ponda Taluka. Merely installing cameras will not help unless there is a regular annual maintenance,” said social worker Sapre.

“It is important that the town creates a sense of security and help police detect crimes. There are around 40 jewellery shops in the Ponda Taluka. Merely installing the cameras will not help unless there is a regular annual maintenance,” added Sapre.

However, it is learnt that the Ponda Municipal Council has reportedly no funds to buy CCTVs for the town.

“The Ponda Municipal Council is willing to restore the system. However, with the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, it would not be possible to install them immediately,” said an official from the PMC.

Five years back there were around 22 CCTV cameras installed in the town with an aim of controlling crime and imbibing traffic discipline among the drivers and riders. 

“The situation has turned bad with most of CCTVs not in operation. The cameras then had instilled some fear in the traffic violators and had brought in some traffic sense amongst the drivers and riders in town. Parking on the streets was also under control because the violators would be booked and fined. However, with most of the CCTVs not functioning, it’s back to the old ways of chaos and indiscipline,” said a police official. 

“Those violating the ‘No Entry’ rule would be promptly fined with the help of the CCTV footage,” the official continued.

The Ponda Gold Dealers Association on the backdrop of the Margao incident wherein a jeweller was stabbed to death stressed for a CCTV system.