HYDERABAD: Telangana DGP M Mahendar Reddy, on Monday, inaugurated 2,058 CCTV cameras installed by 111 communities in different parts of Cyberabad police commissioner. Hyderabad, spread across three commissionerates, already has 6.50 lakh functional cameras. The government aims to install 10 lakh more cameras in the city. “The newly-installed community cameras are the first step towards achieving this target,” said Mahendar Reddy. “Cameras are not only meant for crime prevention, but also to empower law-abiding citizens and create a safe atmosphere for them,” he added. Citing examples of how cameras helped the police save lives of innocent people, he underscored the need for more CCTVs in the city.
Cyberabad commissioner VC Sajjanar said, “In 2017, we had around 5,500 cameras. But over the last three years, the number has gone up to 1.26 lakh. More than 4,000 cameras were donated by MPs, MLAs and MLCs representing different parts of Cyberabad. This is a 25-fold rise in number of cameras, and it shows how communities, industries and other stakeholders are partnering with us in making the city safer,” he said, adding that the Cyberabad police aims to increase the number of cameras to 2.50 lakh by the end of 2021.
“Back when I was the police commissioner of Hyderabad, I had undertaken a massive campaign for CCTVs. But people could not comprehend the need for it, and did not come forward to support the cause,” recalled the DGP. “There was no response from the rich living in Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills. It was the pavement dwellers and petty businessmen who contributed to the first camera in the city. They understood its importance,” he added.
With the objective of ensuring a peaceful atmosphere for the citizens in the State, the Telangana police have been using the latest technologies to upgrade itself from time to time, the DGP said. “We use the technologies we use not just because they are readily available in the market; we look at how they can help police personnel on the field control crime,” he added.
Cop teams to maintain CCTV cameras
Hyderabad: Though the installation of CCTV cameras has become easier for the police over time, their maintenance is a Herculean task, and expensive, more often than not. To make things easier, the Cyberabad has police formed a 19-member CCTV camera maintenance team, comprising recently recruited police constables. Trained for over two months, they will attend to all faulty cameras. VC Sajjanar said that though they were successful in mobilising professionals for installing CCTV cameras, their maintenance has been difficult. “We have been depending on an external agency for the maintenance, and it is difficult to coordinate with them. To do away with these hurdles, we have trained our own new constables with technical background on CCTV maintenance,” he said