Vizag enhances safety with installation of 120 new CCTV cameras

Vizag city enhances safety with the installation of 120 new CCTV cameras in crime-prone areas for better surveillance.

In a major boost to city surveillance, the city police has installed 120 CCTV cameras at 44 identified crime-prone locations across the city in the first phase on Thursday. The cameras were set up under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with support from Gemini Edibles & Fats India Ltd, the makers of the sunflower oil brand ‘Freedom’. All the CCTV cameras have been integrated with the Command & Control Centre to ensure they are monitored round-the-clock.

Recently, the city police conducted an exercise and identified near 250 vulnerable locations across the city, that have a higher likelihood of crimes as well as routes commonly used by offenders to escape after committing offences. Out of those 250 locations, now 120 have been brought under CCTV surveillance. Among them, 22 cameras were installed under the II Town limits covering Daba Gardens, Allipuram, Bhupesh Nagar, Harbour Park, Bangaramma Mettu, etc. About 20 cameras were each installed under One Town, III Town, IV Town and Kancharapalem. Similarly, Maharanipeta and Airport PS limits received 12 and six cameras respectively.

Commissioner of Police, Shankabratha Bagchi said that the main aim of the project is to strengthen surveillance, deterring criminal activity, and improving investigation through better evidence collection.

It may be noted that since July 1, 2024, assuming charge as the Commissioner, Mr Bagchi has been encouraging public participation and private partnerships to expand the city’s surveillance network. As a result, a total of 13,485 CCTV cameras have been installed across residential and public areas in the city so far.

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