BIG BROTHER IN PARADISE: Boracay fights crimes with high-tech CCTV cameras

By: Jennifer P. Rendon

The Malay Police Station in Aklan province further strengthened its anti-criminality efforts by installing 24 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in strategic locations across Boracay Island.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Pablito, Malay police chief, said the installation is part of the SMART policing program of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).

SMART or Secure, Mobile, Artificial Intelligence Driven is real-time, technologically-driven policing of the PNP Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management (DICTM).

“This levels up our capability in combating crimes in the island,” Pablito said.

The CCTV cameras have pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities.

It will also be upgraded with an artificial intelligence capability for facial recognition.

Pablito said most of these CCTV cameras are on the beach front.

Over the weekend, Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, inspected the command and control center (C3) where security monitoring will be centralized.

“The command center will be manned 24/7 for us to proactively respond to incidents,” he said.

Pablito said the local police have recorded varied petty crimes that happened in establishments and beach fronts.

Most of these, he added, are alarm and scandal and acts of lasciviousness.

There are also simple violation of ordinance like urinating and defecating.

Pablito also noted random incidents of theft, robbery, and physical injuries.

“Pero dahil foreigners involved, yun ang problem. Hindi kaagad sila mahuli. But we hope to change the landscape of peace and order with these high-tech CCTVs,” he said.

To complement the PNP’s CCTV, the local government of Malay will also be installing CCTV cameras in the first quarter of 2020.

Pablito said discussions are underway for the placement of the CCCTV cameras and a common command center.