TMCnet News
Efficiency of cops increases with third eye help [Navi Mumbai] [Times of India](Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Navi Mumbai: Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, installed in areas within the jurisdiction of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) last year, have improved the level of policing in the city. They are also helping the cops monitor the law and order situation. The project has been so successful that police commissioner K L Prasad has asked for an additional 250 cameras apart from the 262 already installed. Policing is set to get even better with City and Industrial Development Corporation's (Cidco) plan to install 493 CCTV cameras within its jurisdiction. Footage from the cameras has helped the police reduce response time and expedite action. Apart from rushing to the crime scene faster and swinging into action, the police have also been able to improve coordination, thereby aiding investigation and identification of culprits. The central command centre at the police commissioner's office in Belapur said, the cameras' ability to zoom has helped identify people seated even inside a vehicle. The city has CCTV cameras installed at 68 locations. While 234 cameras are fixed, 28 are pan-tilt-zoom cameras. Most number of cameras has been installed at the toll nakas. "The cameras at the entry and exit points of the Vashi and Airoli toll nakas have ensured that the city is well protected. It has also enabled our counterparts in Mumbai to rely on our information while tracking an accused. We have helped in solving cases such as an escape after a family feud to Lonavala or a brutal crime," said a police department official. Recently, CCTV cameras helped police crack a chain-snatching case. The incident occurred on July 27, 2014, when a person snatched the chain of a morning walker and escaped in a cab. But CCTV camera footage of the vehicle helped the cops trace the route and nab the accused. This, in turn, helped the cops solve two other chain-snatching cases involving the same person. The cameras capture footage and send an alert to both the wireless and command centre at the police commissioner's office. After getting the alert, the force swings into action. The dial 100 is connected with GIS and GPS that enables spot verification of the person calling. The person receiving the call, keys in the details in the computer and the software helps to set the alarm in both the wireless and the CCTV command centre. The CCTV is able to spot the location of the crime, while the wireless can direct beat marshals and police patrol vans to reach the spot. (c) 2014 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited |