Ghaziabad: CCTV cameras of 34 parks are not working in the city —that makes it 40% of the total number spread across the district. There are some parks that lack security guards, while there are 10 parks where no security guards were found during an inspection.In the wake of a gang rape at a park in the national capital, 84 parks across the district were inspected to assess residents’ safety, particularly that of women and girls. ACP (women crime) Suchita Singh said, “We asked the GMC and resident welfare associations (RWAs) to resolve the problems. There are some parks where no CCTV cameras have been installed. We have asked the authorities concerned to look into this.”There are some parks also where some lights were not working. “These areas have turned into dark points. We contacted the power department. I have asked the supervisors of the security agencies hired by the RWAs or GMC for a meeting,” the ACP said.Trans-Hindon area residents had also complained to the police about the anti-social elements using park premises for consuming alcohol and drugs. These people make objectionable comments on female residents. Police received complaints about anti-social elements in 11 parks in Trans-Hindon, an officer said. “A team has been formed for each park to patrol during the evening,” the officer added.Some residents also complained that people from nearby shanties entered parks and played cards. Responding to this, police asked residents to install CCTV cameras and said police personnel would regularly patrol those locations.Coming to the point of crimes against women, till Aug 31 this year, police received 585 women’s harassment cases, 101 rape complaints and 146 eve-teasing complaints. On March 16, a four-year-old girl was raped and bludgeoned to death with a stone by a neighbour who lured her away with the promise of a chocolate. Her body was found in bushes about 500 metres from her home. The accused, a 24-year-old factory labourer who lives in the same locality, was arrested after a gunfight with police.A seven-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped before being murdered in Ghaziabad, officials said on July 11. The body was recovered from the basement of an under-construction mall in Ghaziabad’s Raj Nagar Extension. Police arrested the accused.
