1,500 CCTV cameras give QC new eyes on roads

The Quezon City government will soon be installing 1,500 new closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in a bid to make the country’s largest city safer, Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Monday.

The city government said it hoped the installation of the high-definition CCTV cameras would allow it to “better predict, detect, prepare for and respond quickly to incidents.’’

“We are glad to receive the CCTV cameras from the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government),” Belmonte said in a statement. “This is a smart solution as we improve our monitoring system in the city.”

The initiative arose from a partnership between the city government and the DILG under the Safe Philippines project, which aims to improve law and order, as well as reduce disaster risks in sprawling urban areas.

Quezon City became the seventh city to join the initiative. The installation of the CCTV cameras will pave the way for an “intelligent monitoring system,” allowing Quezon City and the DILG to respond more promptly to security and disaster situations, officials said.

The city said its local police, fire and jail officials stood to benefit from the new eyes on the road.

The cameras would be installed in major thoroughfares and key areas, but officials failed to specify where. “Our commitment to providing social services to our people lies in the effective collection of data and information,” Belmonte said.