Installation of cameras in mall parking areas sought

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO - Pampanga second district Board Member Edna David has urged the malls here, specifically SM City and Robinson Starmills, to put close-circuit television (CCTV) or surveillance cameras particularly within their parking areas as to beef up their security measures. In a committee hearing held recently, David told mall managers that this would significantly minimize, if not totally prevent, theft incidents along their parking areas. The board member said with the installation of surveillance camera, the security of the mall goers would further improve. "Though yours truly is not an expert in security matters, common sense would bear us out that monitors are effective deterrent to crimes, especially in areas where there are no physical presence of security personnel," she said. "If the malls cannot afford CCTVs, which I am more inclined not to believe so, can we assure that there will always be warm bodies guarding parking areas at any given time to assure that criminals would not have time to conduct their nefarious acts," David said. David also appealed to Robinsons Starmills to implement ticketing system for vehicles entering its premises. "Starmills, I believe, is the only mall which doesn't implement a ticketing system for vehicles accessing their premises. I hope that the management would consider this small, but nevertheless, effective effort to deter, if not totally eradicate, [carjacking] incidents," she said. David, as chairperson of Provincial Board (PB) committee on health, also requested the mall managers to consider putting comfort rooms near parking areas. "We have observed that while the malls have ample comfort rooms inside the mall itself, they lack similar facilities in parking areas, especially near passenger terminals. The malls, whether we admit it or not, are cashing in on the spending public, who are willing to shell out their hard-earned money for the little luxury and relaxation that the malls could offer," she stated. - Sun.Star Pampanga