BENGALURU: “Atrocities against women, murders and chain-snatchings are on the rise in the city," says Chief Minister Siddaramaiah about the rising tide of gender-based crimes, and adds that the government is working to stem the tide.
He was speaking during the launch of the Command and Control Centre, located at the newly-built Safe City Command Centre, Vasanthnagar on Friday.
“The Safe City Project, a collaborative effort of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the state government, aims to enhance safety and provide help within seven minutes of reporting, particularly for women, specially-abled and senior citizens,” Siddaramaiah said and added that with Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based cameras and technology, the initiative aims to take proactive measures against crimes and foster positive change in the city.
Siddaramaiah cited the case of a senior geologist’s murder and told the police department to maintain vigil control and prioritize the safety of women in the city. The CM stressed the need for proactive measures, including monitoring residences where women are staying alone. He emphasized the significance of crime prevention over apprehension post-incident.
City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said the Safe City Command Centre, built under the Nirbhaya Fund, consists of 7,500 cameras that will be installed at 3,000 strategic locations across the city. The personnel can monitor ongoing activities through high-resolution cameras and drones. The senior officer added that about 50 safety islands at public places will connect emergency calls to the Command Control Centre with over 120 viewing centres.
The senior officer explained the state-of-art data centre (on-premise) facilitates real-time citywide footage for AI-based cameras, backed by a 30-day storage capacity for continuous video recording.
Additionally, the project incorporates 10 drones equipped with high-resolution cameras for an aerial perspective of events, along with 560 body-worn cameras distributed among police personnel to maintain on-ground records. Further, a Mobile Command and Control Centre (MCCC) vehicle, featuring on-board monitoring and management, enhances mobility for improved crowd control and surveillance capabilities.