The Directorate of Information, Computer and Technology (ICT) in police are devising means of curbing increasing crime and road accidents by installing more closed circuit cameras (CCTVs) across the country.
According to sources at the ICT, they are acquiring automatic number plate recognition cameras among other CCTVs to monitor spots and slap penalties on persons disrespecting traffic signs.
The police recently kicked off the third phase of the National CCTV Network Expansion Project that will ensure both private and government CCTV cameras connected onto the national grid to widen the connectivity.
“The other day the deputy IGP was talking about how do we increase the density of cameras,in towns and cities. So by increasing the camera density, we are trying to reduce on the human intervention in terms of fighting crime by procuring more intelligent cameras with Artificial intelligence,” the police source reveals
Sources at the ICT department also reveal that accidents on the road need to be investigated because some are deliberate acts of suicide, recklessness, others are caused by poor road designs while others happen on hot-spots.
“These accidents sometimes could be deliberate, where someone is tired of his life and then causes an accident to die with many others.The RD and 1 team are conducting studies on the cause of increase on road accidents. We have people looking at those spots to ascertain cause of accidents. We have lost many lives because people are drifting from their lanes especially boda bodas, because some one moves on his lane hoping there’s no one ahead but bumps into someone,” When you commit a crime and runaway, we capture your number-plate and that boosts on our None tax revenue,” the anonymous source reveals
The ICT directorate is also liaising with Kampala Capital City Authority, KCCA to ensure that all roads are numbered for organization when trailing criminals or accidents.
They are also integrating the penalty express system with the Intelligent Transport Management System, ITMS and density of cameras to reduce on road carnage, traffic related accidents and crime on the road.
The first phase of the project (ITMS)—digital monitoring and tracking system of motor vehicles and motorcycles in the country will cover all government vehicles followed by all other vehicles.
As for security, the ICT plans on increasing the density of cameras in places where crime his on the high like in Bwaise where petty crime is on the rise.
“We are conducting a study, for-instance, in a place like Bwaise and surrounding areas, there is a lot of criminality, this petty theft. We have fiber network cutting across ,criss-crossing different road junctions” the source states further.
Compiled by Minah Nalule
