Budget woes keep CCTV off

Tifa Asrianti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 04/23/2008 10:37 AM | City

The Jakarta Police's CCTV traffic system is limping along with only 30 of 50 cameras operational, a result of budget shortfalls that prevent repairs and replacement.

Traffic Management Center coordinator Comr. Sambodo Purnomo said most of the cameras used in the closed-circuit television system had been operational for more than five years and were reaching the end of their shelf life.

"It's about time to replace the cameras, but we have a limited budget," he said.

According to the officer, one new CCTV camera costs around Rp 12 million (US$1,300).

Sambodo said the police outsourced the regular maintenance of the cameras to a private company.

Maintenance work is performed every one or two months, depending on weather conditions and the condition of the cameras.

He said more frequent maintenance was necessary during the rainy season, with thunder storms presenting a particular danger.

"The cameras use wireless technology that is affected by weather and other frequencies around the camera," he said.

Last Thursday, police had trouble managing traffic at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle because the CCTV camera in the area was not working.

"We can't use or rent cameras with fiber optics because it is too expensive. Meanwhile, we didn't allocate any funds to procure cameras this year," he said.

Until the cameras are fixed, the police will rely on patrol officers to monitor traffic in those areas with broken cameras, said Sambodo.

He said even if all the cameras were working, there would not be enough to give the police the necessary monitoring capacity to cover all of Jakarta.

He said at least 200 cameras were needed to deal with the capital's ever-growing traffic problems.

Facing budget constraints, the police say they will cooperate with other government institutions to develop a more extensive CCTV system in the capital. These institutions could include the Jakarta Crisis Center and state-owned toll road operators.

Sambodo said his office would also be interested in cooperating with busway operator TransJakarta if the transportation provider wanted to set up CCTV cameras to monitor busway lanes and ensure they were not used by private vehicles.

"We hope the city administration will help in the camera procurement," he said.

Sambodo said his office had submitted a budget proposal to replace the broken cameras. However, he added, the Jakarta Police had other priorities this year.