To enhance security: Police promises to extend video surveillance technology nationwide.

Commissioner Ndoua Zie used the outing to present the value of the surveillance system in enhancing national security. 

He updated reporters on the centre’s role in the war against insecurity, the maintenance of law and order as well as road and border protection. 

The official gave detailed explanations on the functioning capacity and effectiveness of the system in national security.

Among its achievements, Commissioner Ndoua Zie, mentioned the system’s role in calming crowd trouble in Bafoussam in the West Region and Kousseri in the Far North Region.

He urged the population to make use of the facility by using the toll-free numbers 117 and 1500, in case of incidents that threaten security.

The Head of the Transmission Division regretted what he said is the public’s relative lack of interest in using the system since its launch.  Commissioner Ndoua Zie said it is only through growing public interest that the facility can be fully maximized.

System gaining grounds 

According to the Head of the Transmission Division, the surveillance system has since its launch, achieved palpable results in its drive to promote national security. This, he said, was seen during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations staged in Cameroon. 2022.

Commissioner Ndoua Zie also said the system is fast gaining grounds. He said efforts are underway to ensure the system covers all the 58 Divisions of the country and even Subdivisions.

“The second phase will permit us to cover all the 58 Divisions of the country and certain Subdivisions and borders,” Commissioner Ndoua Zie said, adding that: “We will also add additional command centers in Yaounde and Douala because the two major cities cannot be successfully controlled using just one command center”.

The video surveillance system which was launched in 2019, has its command centre in Yaounde and an annex in Douala in the Littoral Region. 

Several of the institution’s regional bureaus were recently opened in Bafoussam and Bamenda in the West and North West regions respectively. He said a second phase of the system would soon see the light of day.

New centres in view

He announced that additional regional centres will next month, be opened in Bertoua and Garoua in the East and North regions respectively. 

Those of Ngaoundere, Maroua, Buea and Ebolowa in the Adamawa, Far North, South West and South West regions, he also disclosed, will be opened successively.

The video surveillance system currently has an estimated 1500 CCTV cameras. Officials said government is working on equipping the system with some 5,000 cameras.

Calls for partner institutions, populace to accompany institution 

Despite the successes, he said, the institution is facing challenges. This Commissioner Ndoua Zie said, ranges from the destruction of its equipment, electricity challenges and hitches caused by cuts of optic fiber cables. These challenges, he added, disrupts the system’s functioning.

Commissioner Ndoua Zie urged the population to report all forms of attacks on the system’s equipment to the police. Such actions, he said, will ensure the maintenance of the tool and bring defaulters to book.

He called on CAMTEL and the electricity supply company, Energy of Cameroon, ENEO, to step up their efforts to ease the functioning of the system.