Ras Al Khaimah: As many as 73,375 CCTV cameras have been installed inside and outside establishments, most notably federal and local government buildings, in Ras Al Khaimah.
The network of closed circuit television cameras working 24 hours a day, seven days a week is set to prevent crime and bolster security, said authorities.
The move is part of a Ras Al Khaimah Police project dubbed "Himaya", which means "Protection" in Arabic.
Details of the project were revealed in February 2016 by Major-General Ali Abdullah Bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, Commander-in-Chief of Ras Al Khaimah Police.
Maj-Gen Al Nuaimi then said there would be no opting out of the programme. The CCTV installations would be mandatory in all locations identified as desirable by authorities.
The project was expected to take 18 months to complete.
In response to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, the emirate’s police started the CCTV project last year to identify technical systems for security, Maj Gen Al Nuaimi said.
The police informed all government departments about the decision and gave notice that they had only two months to install the cameras on their premises. Anyone violating the rules or who did not comply with the decision would face penalties according to the law, Maj-Gen Al Nuaimi had said.
All government departments, business premises, owners of buildings, parking lots, mosques, vital premises and hotels were asked to meet the deadline.
Other facilities such as bridges, banks, gold shops, and schools were also placed under digital surveillance as were public transport vehicles and taxis in the last stages of the project.
The cameras were to meet specifications and store digital images for up to 90 days, he said.
Accordingly, the cameras have been installed at all these facilities. Only police will be allowed to examine the cameras in case of any crime on one of those premises, Maj-Gen Al Nuaimi said.
Ras Al Khaimah Police will have deeper and wider coverage, improved rapid response, sharper investigation and evidence-tracking abilities, as well as increased transparency, he said
Brigadier Jamal Ahmad Al Tair, head of the General Resources Department at Ras Al Khaimah Police, on Tuesday said over 10,000 out of 16,000 buildings targeted have observed Law No. 3/2015 under the supervision of the RAK Police and the General Resources Authority.
“These entities include a big number of centres, shops, establishments, government departments, public institutions, mosques, hospitals, schools, hotels, rest houses, jewellery shops, villas, as well as residential towers and buildings.”
“This is a record achievement that reflects a complete awareness of the importance of the Himaya system.”
Brig Al Tair said the move is in line with a comprehensive plan to use modern technology systems to enhance security. The new system helps detect and curb crimes, track and catch criminals in a record time.
The RAK Police have so far accredited 84 out of 100 service providers targeted for the job following a big number of intensive courses.
A total of 10,656 engineers and technicians have been trained and qualified to deal with the system specifications, so they can professionally sell and install the CCTV cameras in all buildings across the emirate.
