Udupi, May 17: The Udupi district police are seeking the support of commercial establishments to install 500 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor the vital areas and roads of the city.
The police want these CCTV cameras to be installed in hotels, theatres, complexes, hospitals, and apartments facing the road. Many commercial establishments including some hotels have CCTV cameras on their premises.
M.B. Boralingaiah, Superintendent of Police, said that even if one CCTV camera were to be placed outside, it would be of great help in checking crime such as keeping track of vehicles, individuals, and even in trapping chain snatchers. He had held one meeting on this issue, where 50 owners of commercial establishments had turned up.
“But the response was not up to our expectations. Since the Assembly elections came up, we could not carry on with the process. I plan to hold a few more meetings and persuade them to install at least one CCTV cameras facing outside. The cost of installing and maintenance would have to be borne by the private parties,” he said.
The police have also told jewellery shops to install cameras not just inside but also a camera outside. Thieves planning to break into a jewellery shop had to conduct surveillance from outside and they could be easily caught with the help of CCTV footage.
Since Udupi houses the famous Sri Krishna Math, the police have been urging the authorities of the eight maths or “Ashta Maths” on the Car Street to install 40 CCTV cameras of high quality. The district police along with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) had conducted a survey of Car Street and nearby areas for installation of CCTV cameras. The cost of installing these cameras had been estimated at Rs. 1.5 crore.
“There are CCTV cameras inside the Krishna Math/ Temple. But we have urged the Math authorities to install CCTV cameras at Rajangana parking space and outer periphery of Car Street such as Sanskrit College Junction. This would improve the security of the entire area,” Mr. Boralingaiah said.
15 locations
Yet another plan of the district police is to install CCTV cameras at 15 vital locations in Udupi city to monitor vehicular movement and preventing crime. Already 15 towers had been installed at these locations for the purpose.
