VIJAYAWADA: In a major push towards technology-driven and smart policing, the NTR district police are preparing to roll out an advanced Device Health Monitoring System (DHMS), a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of nearly 10,000 CCTV cameras installed across the district.
The domain-based DHMS will bring all CCTV cameras under a single centralised platform, enabling real-time synchronisation and data transfer to a central dashboard.
This facility will allow police officers to closely monitor public movement across the limits of 28 police stations, significantly enhancing crime prevention, detection, and investigation capabilities.
Explaining the functioning of the DHMS, NTR district Commissioner of Police (CP), SV Rajashekhar Babu, said, “The new system would act as a force multiplier, offering instant access to video evidence and historical footage during investigations. By preserving CCTV footage for longer periods, the DHMS addresses one of the key challenges faced by investigating officers, loss of visual evidence due to limited storage or malfunctioning devices. This helps in reducing the burden on the police.”
Another key feature of the DHMS is its ability to monitor the health of surveillance devices on a real-time basis. “Using Internet of Things (IoT) technology and a binary checking coding mechanism, the system automatically checks the operational status of each camera 1,440 times a day, ensuring early detection of faults such as power failure, connectivity issues, or hardware malfunction,” he added.
As part of surveillance coverage, CCTV cameras installed at religious institutions, including temples, churches, and mosques, have also been integrated into the system.
This would help ensure better crowd management during festivals, special prayers, and public gatherings, besides improving overall security in sensitive and high-footfall areas.
Of the total 10,000 CCTV cameras in the district, more than 8,700 cameras have already been brought under the DHMS, while work is progressing rapidly to achieve 100 per cent integration in the coming weeks.
“Beyond CCTV surveillance, the system also provides for the integration of digital devices such as computers, tablets, and other electronic equipment used at police stations. This comprehensive approach enables the department to generate detailed reports on device usage, network load, performance efficiency, and defunct equipment, facilitating better planning, budgeting, and maintenance,” he shared.
To ensure smooth functioning at the grassroots level, one dedicated home guard in each police station is responsible for coordinating maintenance, reporting faults, and ensuring uninterrupted functioning of CCTV cameras and the DHMS.
The state-of-the-art surveillance is expected to be rolled out within a month by CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu.
“With the implementation of the DHMS, NTR district is set to emerge as a model for smart policing, combining advanced surveillance, device management, and centralized monitoring to ensure safer streets and faster, more effective law enforcement,” the CP said.