More people can contribute towards safer community via online Cyber-RT

The public can now be part of the online voluntary community policing to help keep their local community free from crime, through a creative innovation called Cyber-RT.

The initiative, developed by MyChoice Media Sdn Bhd is based on the concept of Rukun Tetangga for the Internet age, and leverages on the latest technology to enable better monitoring of a neighbourhood from the comfort of one's home or office.

“Instead of depending on the authorities to come up with the necessary resources to install and run a very expensive high-tech CCTV (closed-circuit television) monitoring system, Cyber-RT taps into existing resources which many already have right now.

“Every CCTV camera can be easily and quickly plugged into the Cyber-RT website (www.Cyber-RT.info) platform via the Internet...and since the actual cameras are maintained by their respective owners, the upfront cost is minimal - being shared among many,” said a Cyber-RT statement.

It is believed the initiative could lead to a number of eyeballs available to monitor the streets via its website to increase significantly, and immediately becoming a huge deterrence to would-be criminals, knowing fully well that live video is being streamed by CCTV cameras.

The statement said Cyber-RT had put in measures to protect people's privacy, including a 45-second live video viewing limits and turning off errant cameras upon receiving complaints.

It said that only authorised enforcement agencies such as the Police, Fire and Rescue Department and the Road Transport Department could view archived videos while the public would not be allowed to do so, even on what had taken place just 10 seconds earlier.

It added that to be part of the Cyber-RT community, participants could register their old smartphones or browser-capable CCTV cameras with www.Cyber-RT.info and attach the devices to their property windows or walls.

More information on the initiative is obtainable at www.Cyber-RT.info.

-- BERNAMA