Epress.am News from Armenia
In order to ensure public order in Armenia’s capital, Yervan police, by June or July of this year, are preparing to install 24 hour video surveillance in 10 core areas of the city: Liberty Square (just outside the Opera building), Republic Square, outside the Matenadaran (Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts), Charles Aznavour Square (outside Moscow Cinema), France Square (near the Opera building), Sakharov Square, Garegin Njdeh Square, certain areas along major thoroughfare Mashtots Ave. and other areas, said Yerevan Police Chief Nerses Nazaryan at a press conference today.
“Mainly chosen was the city center where, as you know, there are more crimes. These video cameras will help us greatly. When there are incidents between police and the public during events, the police say they’re right while people say they’re right. In this case, the video cameras will give us a complete and accurate picture,” he said.
The police chief noted that as a result of this new measure, the number of police officials supervising public areas will decrease. Nazaryan said that currently there are large concentrations of police in the city center and the use of video surveillance will allow the force to reduce this number.
“It will ensure vigilance; people will know that everything is being filmed,” he said.
Asked by Epress.am whether there will be signs in accordance to European standards which inform the public that a given area is under surveillance, Nazaryan confessed he’s not familiar with such regulations, however, he promised to make an appropriate recommendation.