CG Block is all set to come under CCTV surveillance. After a spate of six robberies recently, and even more thwarted break-ins, the block committee has decided to secure every lane and bylane by bringing them under their watch 24 hours a day.
“There was a week in end-June when six homes in our block were attacked on three days. We have many senior citizens living in our block and cannot risk their safety like this. Let the administration do what they deem fit but we have to look out for ourselves,” said general secretary Sankar Prosad Deb, who proposed the idea of CCTVs at their annual general meeting thereafter.
The proposal was passed and work should begin by the end of the month. “An advisory committee has been set up with engineers and other experts from the block and a team from Jadavpur University has been consulted too. They suggested installing around 32 cameras at entry and exit points of our lanes and at the blind spots emerging in the middle of the lanes. The data will be stored in a centre behind the community hall with access to key members of the committee.
The project will cost more than Rs 5 lakh and funds are being drawn from the committee’s savings, 2021 Puja subscriptions as well as a one-time contribution of Rs 1,500 from residents.
Residents are heaving a sigh of relief at the news. “I run a dental clinic in the block that got broken into a month back. They stole a laptop, a tab... On the same night, they stole more than 20 computers from a neighbouring office,” said Rudradeb Sanyal of Sanyal Dental Care. “Our clinic had CCTV inside but the tech-savvy thieves stole the device where the video footage gets stored. CCTV all over the block is a great idea and will prevent crime if the culprits know their actions will get documented.”
BC Block was the first in Salt Lake to get every house under CCTV surveillance back in 2016 at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakh, as reported then in The Telegraph Salt Lake.
“Several culprits could be apprehended by the police after thefts and accidents by checking the footage from our 47 cameras. Since it has become known that we have electronic vigil, thefts which were earlier rampant like of batteries and tyres from cars have gone down. Taxi drivers also spare this block from using our lanes to park cars at night,” said Sudipta Chowdhury, who was the block association secretary during the installation of the CCTVs.
Crime and punishment
Officers of Bidhannagar east police station welcomed the news. “We have about 20 blocks under us and with our limited vehicles and resources it is not possible for our patrol teams to be everywhere all the time,” said an officer. “We have been urging all blocks to get at least a few CCTVs as it helps immensely in crime detection.”
The officer explained that the pandemic had led to a change in the pattern of crime too. “The gang that had targeted CG Block hailed from Ghutiari Sharif in Canning. These thieves usually operate in trains but with trains shut during the lockdown they had resorted to targeting Salt Lake,” said the officer, adding that the gang was caught within 24 hours of the last robbery and most stolen items have been recovered.
The officer’s advice to block committees is to install CCTVs, share with them details of tenants living in the block and to engage night guards to man the streets after dark. “Many blocks have discontinued night guards, maybe due to financial constraints in the pandemic, but the service is vital,” he said.
CG Block has always had night guards and has, of late, upgraded them. “Our guards are now patrolling not just on foot but on cycles now,” said Deb. “In fact since those six robberies in June, our night guards have caught thieves on at least two more occasions.”
Additional reporting by Sudeshna Banerjee
Are cases of theft on the rise ever since last year’s lockdown? Write to The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abp.in