New hi-tech security for residences

By ANDREW BAGALA
Posted  Thursday, April 14 2011 at 00:00

 

Often in cases of a fire breakout in residences or attacks by criminals, the first institution the occupants contact is the police through calling their emergency numbers on 999 or 112. Most of the police lines are usually congested but some get the chance to talk to the officers in the control room and explain to them what happened.

Given the unplanned residential areas and lack of plot numbers, police sometimes find that crimes have been committed, property taken or destroyed and the criminals have already vanished.

But with new interconnected alarm technology, affected residents can link up with that police instantly without having to make a call to the congested police telephone lines.

Mr Moses Kafeero, Kampala South Metropolitan Commander, says that each house is connected to a system which linked to the area police station.

“In a case a resident who is connected to the system is attacked by criminals, he or she just needs to press a distress button that will set an alarm at the police station,” Mr Kafeero says.

He adds that the police officers at the station will automatically see the affected resident on their computer monitors using a Google map and thus send armed officers to attend to the occupants.

This new alarm tracking system is being piloted in Muyenga in Makindye Division, Kampala District and it will be rolled out in other parts like Kololo and Naguru.

A residential area free of armed robberies, burglary, breaking in and vandalism not only attracts real estate development but also draws more home buyers.

The alarm systems come in different types. Some are installed in the window and can sense vibration sensors, door monitors, portable panic buttons and motion detectors while others are wired to prevent unauthorised entry.

Any trigger of any of these sensors automatically activates the premise system which transmits a signal to the police control room to dispatch officers.

Mr Yasiin Omar, a Muyenga Parish Local Council official and one of the beneficiaries, says that the alarm tracking system has not only helped to reduce crime in the area but also increase police efficiency.

“We don’t need to trace a place where the crime has been committed but the computer shows us the exact place where there is a problem,” Mr Omar says. He adds that the alarm tracking system has reduced the residents’ cost son private security guards and probably the crimes associated with misuse of guns.

This is part of neighbourhood watch under the community policing strategy. Since the project started, he says, crime rates dropped by 80 per cent.

Mr Ishaq Kyagulanyi, Muyenga Police Station Office-in-Charge, says they were recording about 120 cases every month but after the project started, those cases have dropped to 25 a month.

He adds that after the suspects have been arrested, their photographs and fingerprints are captured and fed in the computer so that they can’t commit crimes in the area again.

Securex manager, Mr Sachin K. Kochargaonkar, who was part of the team that connected residents to the security system, says they provided portable panic buttons and automatic intruder alarm systems which alert the police whenever there is a problem at home and 100 metres away from the home.