Noida: Cops want guards outside highrises, RWAs oppose plan

NOIDA: Residents have objected to a police notice asking highrises in Sector 49 to ensure installation of night-vision cameras, proper lighting and deployment of a guard specifically to keep watch on vehicles parked outside the society.
Police have warned the residents of action if they fail to follow the directive by September 22. The cops have argued that cameras focusing outside housing societies help in detecting crime.
They have also said that left unchecked, the area around highrises can be used to park stolen vehicles, as had been seen in a few cases recently. The residents have claimed that RWAs can’t be held accountable for rise in street-crime and the cops should intensify patrolling.
“It is absolutely necessary to have CCTV cameras and proper provision of lights outside the society. Hence, you are being directed to install night-vision CCTV cameras facing towards the road, proper lighting and deployment of a guard near where vehicles are parked by September 22,” reads the notice.
Asked about the letter, the SHO of Sector 49 police station, Dharmendra Sharma, said, “Most of the societies do not have CCTV cameras that function properly. There had been multiple incidents of loot and snatching. However, when the cameras of housing societies were checked, most of them were found to be defunct.” Amit Gupta, president of the apartment owners’ association (AOA) at Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, agreed that many unknown people park their vehicles outside the boundary wall. “It is difficult to keep track of who is parking a vehicle outside the society. We had earlier complained about an unknown auto-rickshaw that remained parked here for long. Only after we approached the police multiple times was the auto finally removed from there,” he added.
But RWAs have raised concern about a possible increase in maintenance cost if the directive is implemented. “Most societies have guards deployed at multiple gates. But, if another guard is to be deployed outside the society, it will definitely hike the maintenance cost,” said Jitendra Pratap Singh, a board member of the apartment owners’ association at JM Orchid society in Sector 76.
DP Singh, a resident of Sector 48, said the cops should increase vigil around housing societies.
“Two years ago, our society would maintain a register on the number of times a PCR van would patrol in a day. However, the practice has almost stopped now. Patrolling is the primary responsibility of the police, not issuing such notices,” he said. SP (city) Vineet Jaiswal ruled out any action against residents and termed the notice an attempt to “sensitise residents”.