Surveillance Systems Fall Victim to the Crime They Monitor
Pakistan’s ambitious Safe City surveillance initiative faces an ironic security crisis as expensive monitoring equipment designed to prevent crime becomes the target itself. Recent incidents across Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad reveal alarming vulnerabilities in the nation’s security infrastructure.
Equipment Worth Millions Disappears
In Rawalpindi, thieves brazenly stole two high-tech surveillance cameras near Sheikh Rashid Bridge, along with their power backup systems and memory storage. The stolen equipment, including GS2 and GS3 camera units valued at approximately Rs260,000, disappeared despite being part of a network designed specifically to detect criminal activity.
Similar theft patterns emerged in Islamabad’s G-9/2 sector, where Safe City batteries worth Rs35,000 vanished. Thieves broke pole locks and removed expensive power equipment, highlighting critical gaps in physical security measures protecting these surveillance installations.
Systemic Infrastructure Challenges
The thefts underscore deeper issues plaguing Pakistan’s Safe City initiative. Beyond equipment disappearance, hundreds of cameras remain non-functional due to maintenance problems, damaged cables, overgrown vegetation blocking views, and outdated technology lacking essential features like night vision capabilities.
Project officials have registered cases with local police stations, but investigations face the peculiar challenge of cameras meant to monitor crime being stolen without detection by surrounding surveillance networks.
Success Stories Amid Setbacks
Despite these challenges, Karachi’s Safe City Authority reports positive developments. The system has successfully facilitated 11 arrests and recovered 31 stolen vehicles using facial recognition and automated number plate recognition technology. These achievements demonstrate the system’s potential when operational.
However, the recurring equipment losses raise urgent questions about protecting the protectors. Authorities must implement enhanced physical security measures, rapid alert detection systems, and fortified infrastructure to maintain public confidence in these expensive surveillance programs.
