The authorities are surely working towards it and in the same light—a few months ago—the shopkeepers in Srinagar city were directed to ensure the installation of CCTV cameras. There was compliance, but the same was to just some extent while the majority of such identified places lack the necessary surveillance in the jam-packed Srinagar city. Both the general public as well as the security apparatus needs to understand the importance of ensuring an eye on the major spots across the city and for that, both sides have to work in tandem to make sure that there are round-the-clock eyes on the streets for the added protection and security across the city, especially to have a track of the criminal elements.
To begin with, the authorities need to cover the hospitals, Government offices, and all other public places, ensuring that they remain under round-the-clock watch. The same will not only help in keeping a check on small crimes but might end up putting the entire security system a step ahead in a general sense with it having more eyes all around. Taking the example of what happened in Kishtwar: if there were no CCTVs installed at the spot of the crime, there would have been no whereabouts of the abducted minor girl and the same would have put a question mark on the efficiency of the police in the district and its capability to deal which such elements executing crimes around.
Even in Srinagar, we have seen several cases being cracked with the help of CCTV footage. In the last few days, the police have been sharing footage of aerial surveillance in Srinagar city, which is good and is needed keeping in view growing drug abuse and other crimes; however, the same needs to be taken to a new level where the camera network provides an edge to the law enforcing agencies. It is not only about Srinagar; rather, there is a need for a better, effective CCTV camera network across Kashmir. If the crime is manifesting in new and different ways, the system also needs to upgrade, ensuring it has more eyes than it had before.
