In August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had addressed the Delhi police and talked about how surveillance is a major component of policing in preventing and investigating crime.
| Photo Credit: File photo
Months after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that surveillance needs to be strengthened in the Capital, the Delhi police have submitted a response to the parliamentary Standing Committee saying that it has planned to install 25,160 CCTV cameras.
The committee recommended that CCTV cameras should be installed on priority basis so that an inter-connected database can be created for a faster access to footages during investigation.
A total of 6,942 CCTV cameras and 118 traffic police cameras have been installed till now and 6,630 CCTV cameras are to be installed in vulnerable locations that are to be identified based on the crime mapping study that will be conducted in the jurisdiction of 50 police stations.
An additional of 10,000 CCTV cameras will be installed under the “Safe City Project.” Under MPLAD Funds, the Delhi police said that CCTV cameras will be installed as per the survey.
“Based on the successful results of the pilot project, feasibility of integration of CCTV cameras of other departments and agencies will be examined and proposal will be initiated accordingly,” the police said.
Regarding the present status of the Safe City Project’s progress, Delhi Police has informed that the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), the Total Service Provider for implementation of Safe City Project has completed the bidding process for selection of Master System Integrator (MS) and Internet Service Provider (ISP).
As per the timelines defined, the implementation of the Safe City Project is to be completed within 52 weeks from the date of signing of contract agreement between C-DAC and selected MSI and ISP.
In August, Mr. Shah addressed the Delhi police and talked about how surveillance is a major component of policing in preventing and investigating crime. He said that CCTV cameras need to be installed that are integrated with the control room in all public places like airports, railway stations, bus stands, markets and RWAs.
A senior police officer said CCTV cameras are a breakthrough in cases of road rage, murder, snatching or even murders. “These cameras are enabled with Facial Recognition System, which benefit us in times of riot-like situations,” he said.
Regarding the implementation of CCTV cameras, he said the police conduct a survey to identify areas that are crime prone or have dark spots, or of heavy footfall or areas with bigger markets. He said that all the areas are mapped and then CCTV cameras are installed.
The officer said that CCTV acts as a deterrent. “Not only are criminals get tech-savvy, but even our technology is reinventing itself,” the officer said, adding that now, criminals are aware of CCTV cameras and are able to hide themselves, however, “with extensive CCTV coverage, they’re still identified.”
