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Lao capital police opens gov't hotline with help from China

Xinhua, August 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Lao Ministry of Public Security, in cooperation with Huawei Lao PDR, officially opened the Government Hotline and Police Command Center (GHL-PCC) Project in capital Vientiane recently in a move to monitor crimes and other social issues.

According to Lao state-run online newspaper Vientiane Times on Friday, the project is one of the Lao government's priorities, completed at a cost of over 39.9 million U.S. dollars or about 323 billion kip in loan funding from the Chinese government, with the Lao government committing its own funds of 20.6 billion kip (some 2.5 million U.S. dollars) to the project.

The project is a partnership between Huawei Lao PDR, invested by China's Huawei, and the Ministry of Public Security, aiming to develop a hotline reporting system via the emergency number 1191 so that the public can report on social issues.

Authorities said the introduction of the new surveillance cameras will enable members of the public to turn to the police for help when facing an emergency situation. It will also allow police officers to perform their duties in protecting and resolving incidents or disturbances immediately, using the advanced police command center.

Besides that, the project officials will also be on the lookout for drivers ignoring the traffic rules and hit-and-runs in the capital.

The modernization of the system will help improve the efficiency of police operations, with the use of modernized vehicles and cutting-edge multimedia dispatching and command equipment using Huwei's 4G technology, according to the report.

The on-site situation can be visible and reachable. The control room has a system that connects to high quality CCTV in 19 locations around Vientiane.

The project will enable Lao police officers to oversee situations in real-time, and assist in the preparation and planning to dispatch officers to the scene immediately and effectively.

It will especially help police follow drivers or vehicles after a hit-and-runs where drivers leave the scene of an accident, following a spate of such incidents in the capital.

According to the Vientiane Traffic Police Department, there have been 23 reported hit-and-run cases in Vientiane so far in 2016 and police have made nine arrests.

In the past Lao police have had difficulty investigating such cases due to a lack of security camera coverage but in conjunction with the 1191 hotline for members of the public to report such incidents, the new surveillance cameras will help address these issues.

People who wish to report emergency matters or are in need of assistance from police officers can call the 1191 hotline from any telecoms service provider free of charge. Endit