2,000 CCTV cameras to keep watch on sector roads, parks

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, August 29

To boost security in the UT, the police have planned to install 2,000 additional CCTV cameras across the city, focusing on internal roads, sector entry and exit points and parks. This will add to the existing around 2,100 cameras, of which nearly 1,100 are used for surveillance and the rest are part of the Integrated Traffic Management System.

The new proposal outlines the installation of these cameras on V3 roads (sector perimeters), V4 roads (internal sector roads), V5 roads (sector circulation roads), V6 roads (access roads to houses, and at the entry and exit points of sectors. Additionally, parks that have been hotspots of snatching and eve-teasing will also be equipped with cameras.

Installation sites

• V3 roads (those surrounding sectors in the city)
• V4 roads (ones bisecting sectors)
• V5 roads (circulation roads meandering through sector, giving access to its inner lanes)
• V6 roads (access paths to houses)
• Entry and exit points of sectors
• Parks within sectors

These new cameras will have specifications similar to those already installed and will be linked with the Integrated Control Command Centre (ICCC). The high-resolution cameras enable reading the number plates of vehicles and even clearly identify people walking down the street.

A letter outlining the plan has already been sent to the MC Chief Engineer-cum-Chief General Manager of Chandigarh Smart City Limited.

The existing CCTV system has already proven effective in solving numerous cases, including murder, snatching, road accidents and thefts, over the past two years. As per data shared by Chandigarh Smart City Limited last year, the cameras had helped the police solve 250 criminal cases between March 2022 and February 2023. Currently, about 285 locations, including intersections, government schools, water treatment facilities, parking lots and hospital entrances, are monitored real-time via the ICCC.

Deterrent to crime

The expanded surveillance network aims to not only aid in crime detection but also serve as a deterrent to criminal activity. The high-resolution cameras enable reading the number plates of vehicles and even clearly identify people walking down the streets.