The government is to install 10,000 more CCTV cameras and cellular technologies at vantage areas in all regional and district capitals across the country to enhance the operational efficiencies of the security and intelligence agencies, the Minister of National Security, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, has told Parliament.
He said the project would also provide for the installation of CCTV cameras in 432 out of the 900 regional, divisional and district police stations across the country.
The project followed a contract agreement the government, through the Ministry of National Security, signed with Huawei Technologies and the China Machinery Engineering Corporation in 2018 to implement the second phase of the Integrated National Security Communications Enhancement Project (Alpha Project – Phase1).
He said while the project commenced in January 2020 and was initially scheduled to be completed in 18 months, logistical challenges sparked by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had pushed the project completion to December 2021.
Responding to a question on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Mr Kan-Dapaah said: “To date, the installation of about 6,500 cameras has been completed, with a little over 4,000 cameras powered and online, mainly in Accra, Kumasi and other regional capitals.
“This installation has aided us to detect many infractions and criminal activities, including helping us solve recent violent crimes such as armed robbery and kidnapping.”
“Even as brisk efforts are made to complete the existing phase, the relevant planning works are also being carried out to pursue additional phased deployments of cameras to cover the outstanding areas that cannot be served under this phase,” he assured Parliament.
The National Security Minister was responding to a question by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Wa West, Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu, who had asked about the project in which CCTV cameras were to be fixed in all police stations across the country.
