Heavy rains cause technical snags in 150 Safe City cameras, repair ordered

Recent heavy rains in the city have caused technical faults in about 150 Safe City Project cameras which are connected to the police control room (PCR). The Ludhiana police have asked the agency looking after the operation of the cameras to immediately repair and ensure the same in working condition.

The cameras are considered as the third eye of the Police Department, keeping watch over places where police officials are not present.

The online challaning process has also hit to some extent due to the development.

As per information, these cameras suffered damages due to the incessant rain in the past weeks. Initially, a few cameras developed technical snags but as the rain continued, the number of cameras which stopped working increased. After the police control room noticed the issue, they raised the matter with senior police officials who further alerted the agency to ensure immediate repair.

Interestingly, the Safe City cameras have been helping the police in all respects. Many of the criminals were caught by the police with the help of the cameras as their footage helped the police in tracing routes of criminals. The hi-tech cameras are also being used to monitor traffic situations in the city as on many occasions, control room staff after noticing major traffic jams alert cops to visit the particular spot and manage the traffic flow.

Talking to The Tribune, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order and Traffic) Parminder Singh Bhandal said continuous rain had caused technical faults in about 150 Safe City cameras and repair was going on a war footing by an agency looking after the operations of cameras. At present, about 1,550 cameras are already functioning in the city and outer areas. “Some of these have already been repaired. In coming few days, all cameras will be functional and their feed will be available in the PCR,” Bhandal said.

Notably the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate has one of the best Police Control Room system. Recently the Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma had introduced the New Emergency Response System (ERS) to significantly improve response times for various incidents, including accident, scuffle, snatching, and traffic jam. By unifying the traffic police, PCR, and city’s control centre under one system, the ERS leverages real-time surveillance from the city’s extensive camera network to ensure a swift and coordinated reaction to emergencies.