FEB.

28, 2012 DATE

NR # 2693
REF. NO.

Lawmaker urges Congress to pass the proposed Car Park Security Act
Parking areas inside malls and other commercial facilities will soon be required to install closed circuit television (CCTV) and lighting systems in strategic locations under a bill to be known as Car Park Security Act. Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy (Party-list, Bagong Henerasyon) authored House Bill 5718 in response to the alarming incidence of crimes against persons and property within parking facilities. Parking facilities represent one major location where a high frequency of violent crimes, including rape, theft, and assault occur, Herrera-Dy said. Herrera-Dy cited the 2008 Criminal Victimization in the United States report, which showed that a parking lot was the place of occurrence of 7 percent of the 4.5 million incidents of violent crimes, most notably 21 percent carnapping, 11 percent theft, 17 percent robbery and 6 percent assault. While data indicating the prevalence of parking facility crime in the country may be lacking or inadequate, we take this study to be illustrative of similar trends in the Philippines, Herrera-Dy said. Herrera-Dy said there is an urgent need for Congress to legislate law mandating the owners and administrators of parking facilities to upgrade their safety and security systems. Under the bill, owners and administrators of parking facilities shall be liable for physical damage or harm to vehicles or persons within their premises should it be proven that he had failed to provide reasonable protection from criminal activities. CCTV systems installed in parking facilities shall have a minimum recording quality of 30 frames per second and shall be able to adequately distinguish facial features, shapes, and colors of pedestrians and vehicles over a targeted range. Data acquired through CCTV systems shall be retained for a minimum of 45 days. Data recordings covering suspicious activities shall be stored for a minimum of 90 days unless copies have been previously provided to police authority. One year imprisonment and a fine of not more than P50,000 will be imposed on anyone who would refocus, reposition, cover, manipulate, disconnect or tamper a security or surveillance camera for the purpose of avoiding detection from committing crimes like robbery, theft, physical injury, rape and other forms of sexual assault. The bill mandates mall owners to provide adequate lighting facilities at the car park areas, waiting areas, stairwells and elevators and comfort rooms, as well as corridors that have limited visibility. The bill provides that, it shall be unlawful for owners and administrators of parking facilities to impose blanket or unconditional waivers limiting their liability for damage to property and injury to persons caused by any acts of their employees against the property or person within the parking facilities. (30) lvc