As police prepares to go E, the force is training at least 1076 officers to monitor the National Closed Circuit Television Cameras-CCTV that are being installed by police to boost security surveillance.
The selected officers are being trained by Huawei at Police headquarters in Naguru, a Kampala suburb.
The ICT giant Company was contracted by government to implement the National CCTV installation program, while the over 1000 officers were picked from different police stations, regions and the Directorate of Information and Communication Technology- ICT. They are receiving training in different aspects of using and monitoring the cameras as well as archiving and retrieving footage.
According to police, the camera feeds will be transmitted through cable to a specific server created by the National Information Technology Authority - Uganda-NITAU and the footage will be accessible in real time at different police units under supervision of the Police divisions and police stations. Shillings 400 billion is required to construct the proposed command center where all the cameras will be monitored from.
Currently, the contractor is setting up temporary command centers at Natete Police Building, the Central Police Station building and Naguru Police headquarters. According to Felix Baryamwisaki, the acting ICT Director Uganda Police Force, the training will equip the officers with skills to monitor different cameras, facial recognition and number plate recognition.
"The training is ongoing to teach the people who will be monitoring the CCTV cameras what they are supposed to do and how to do it," he explained. Atleast 664 cameras have so far been installed in Natete, Old Kampala, Wandegeya, Katwe, Mulago and the Central Business Division. Trenching is still ongoing in Nakawa, Kajansi, Portbell Luziea, Nansana and Kawempe.
However, the plan is to see 3233 Cameras installed in Kampala Metropolitan Policing area that covers Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono District under the first phase of the project, which will cost Shillings 60billion and runs between June 2018 and June 2019. The project will also cover 1300 Kilometers of land trenches.