In Gurugram, third eye as good as non-existent

Sanjay Yadav

Terror and panic gripped Sector 40 area, when a group of four-five men gatecrashed a family’s Lohri celebration in an inebriated condition and injured three by firing at them.

The incident has not only left city residents terrified, but also highlighted one of the key security issues, long ignored by the police and residents alike.

Being one of the key sectors, there are a plethora of CCTV cameras in the area, but ironically, none of the accused were identified in these cameras clearly. Had they not been caught in a picture at the event, there was no way the police would have identified them.

Despite several CCTV cameras in the city, a majority prove useless, when it comes to getting leads in crime cases.

Last year, a garment showroom owner was shot dead in Sadar Bazaar. All shops in the area had CCTV cameras and the police were banking on these. But when the police tried identifying the accused using the CCTV footage, they were in for a shock, as most of the cameras were not functional. In the footage, the accused appeared with their scooty, but since their faces and number plate were not visible, the police had to make extra efforts.

“When we reached the spot, we were confident that all shops have CCTVs, so we will get major leads. But to our shock, we found that shopkeepers used to shut these cameras down when they closed their shops. Others were not recording anything and some of these were of very poor quality. Shopkeepers claimed they were scared of short circuit, so they switched these off while shutting their shops,” said an investigating officer of the case.

While many cameras installed by the police on Agrasen Chowk are lying defunct for the past few months, those installed by residents face technical lacunae like not supporting night coverage, poor recording or placement at non-useful angles.

These issues make these third eyes as good as non-existent.

An analysis of heinous crime case investigations reveal that the key obstruction in the identification and nabbing of accused was the lack of useful CCTV footage in over 70 per cent cases, despite many cameras being installed in the area.

“There is a sheer lack of awareness and knowledge when it comes to installing the right camera at the right place. We have dealt with cases where despite installation of a dozen cameras, we failed to get any lead, as these have poor recording quality. There have been cases, when just one camera recorded an incident as it was placed at the right angle, which helped us in cracking the case. Almost every nook and corner is covered with CCTV cameras, but not all are useful,” revealed a senior cop of crime unit.

Meanwhile, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is also planning to install 5,000 CCTV cameras across the city. In December last year, CM Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Gurugram. In 2018, the GMDA, in a survey, found that over 55,000 cameras were installed across the city, including at shopping malls, residences, offices and markets in Gurugram.

The GMDA has already started work to cover the city with CCTV cameras. With the help of the traffic police, the GMDA at present has installed over 150 cameras in 40 locations of the city and to aid the CCTV network of Gurugram, installation of more cameras will be done. As per the plan, officials of the traffic police, GMDA, MCG, DHBVN and other departments will be present in the ICCC on a daily basis to represent their department and aid in better communication. The traffic police were also in the process of issuing online challans to commuters, who violate traffic rules after being captured in the cameras. The traffic police will also start the monitoring of cameras.

In most metro cities, the local police issue guidelines, asking businessmen to install cameras with a better night vision and resolution at their establishments to curb street crime, but the Gurugram police have not issued any guidelines as such. However, the installation of more cameras in the city is in the pipeline and the work is on, but in the present scenario, the CCTV cameras installed in the city are not proving helpful to the police.

Police Commissioner Mohammad Akil, however, said before the CCTV network surveillance comes into force, the already installed cameras were proving helpful. “It will take some time to put the entire thing in order. As of now, we are taking leads from whatever footage we get and carry on investigation with the help of existing cameras. The ICCC has been launched and we hope the city will be under CCTV surveillance soon,” the CP said.

Ironically, most of the public places in Gurugram, including the bus stand, lack ample CCTV coverage. Though cameras have been installed at the railway station, these have to be functional. It was on December 13 last year, when 34 CCTV cameras were installed at the railway station, but these are still non-functional.

Surveillance reduces crime rates

• Surveillance cameras reduce crime rates because when an individual knows he/she is being monitored continuously, they are less likely to indulge in a criminal act.
• The city of Surat has reduced crime rate by 27 per cent, thanks to the ‘Safe City’ project launched in association with tech giant Microsoft. In this, the local police collaborated with Microsoft to set up surveillance centres all across the town, backed by a remote command and a control centre.
• According to a recently published report by the Hyderabad Police, the CCTV camera installation and upgrade have reduced crime rate by 14 per cent.
• Several upcoming smart cities in India are using public CCTV cameras to monitor road conditions and real-time traffic remotely. This helps the authorities in making better decisions to reduce congestion.
• Additionally, CCTV cameras near traffic lights help in preventing drivers from jumping lights and indulging in over-speeding, thereby reducing road accidents.
• These are just a few benefits of public surveillance. As more and more cities are poised to become ‘smart’ and technology-reliant, CCTV cameras will play a significant role in improving the lives of people in public areas.