The government on Monday appealed to local executives to require owners and operators of commercial establishments, especially those situated in crowded and hazard-prone areas, to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año urged cities and municipalities to enact ordinances mandating the installation of CCTVs as a requirement for the issuance of business permits.
The DILG said CCTV footage have always complemented the investigation of law enforcers, and have resulted in the resolution of many criminal cases. The agency said CCTVs is a big help in the probe of high-profile cases producing vital leads for police investigators.
“CCTVs are applicable technologies that should be utilized to keep criminal activities and their perpetrators at bay,” Año said.
He said public safety must be a priority of local government units.
“Now is the right time to require businesses to install CCTV. People are going out of their homes and in various establishments nowadays due to lower COVID-19 cases and a CCTV system is a powerful tool that can aid LGUs in ensuring public safety, deterring crimes, and identifying and apprehending culprits.”
Among the businesses that should have CCTVs, according to Año, are financial establishments such as banks, pawnshops, money lenders, and money remittance services and the likes; business establishments with several branches and chains; shopping malls, shopping centers, supermarkets, wet markets; and, medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.
Places of entertainment such as theaters, movie houses, perya, internet cafes, arcades and other areas that draw a considerable number of customers; airports, public transportation terminals, parking lots and other similar establishments that cater to a large number of vehicles; car dealerships, gasoline stations, vehicle maintenance/service stations; and other similar business establishments deemed necessary by the LGU should likewise have CCTV cameras, added Año.
“Business establishments can help a lot in maintaining order in their communities by prioritizing the installation of CCTVs in their businesses. We must work in synergy towards a more peaceful community,” Año said.
“We have already made significant strides in lowering the country’s crime rate in the last five years. It is imperative that we sustain this progress and enforce innovative policies that can further improve peace and order in our communities,” the DILG chief said.