Delhi cops learn from Modi's Gujarat, bring his CCTV plan to two localities

Greater Kailash in south Delhi and Dariba Kalan in north Delhi have been identified as pilot areas where CCTV camera surveillance network ‘Safe City Surat’ initiative will be replicated by Delhi Police.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then chief minister of Gujarat, had inaugurated the project in January 2013 saying it will show path to the nation in establishing reliable vigilance network for crime detection.

A three-member team of Delhi Police — Special Commissioner of Police (Operations) Sundari Nanda, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Communication) Naved Mumtaz and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operation) Satyawan Gautam — had visited Surat earlier in the month to study the public private partnership initiative.

“A standard operating procedure has also been drawn up to ensure uniformity in the implementation,” said a police officer.

Presentation to Jung

The team has also made a presentation before Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on the aspects of the project which can be replicated and sustainably assimilated into the existing and planned CCTV network in Delhi.

“An intensive exercise has already been started by Delhi Police to identify suitable areas where there is scope for expansion of the existing CCTV network under the Surat project,” the officer added. 

Besides expansion of the existing network, improving maintenance, networking and bandwidth are also identified areas where public can become active stakeholders for ensuring enhanced security for themselves and their businesses.

The vigilance network covers over 200 km radius of Surat with 104 CCTV cameras installed at 26 strategic places.

A command and control centre with a 280-square-feet video wall is at the police commissioner’s office.

The Surat Municipal Corporation had invested Rs 2 crore in the Rs 10.50 crore venture, while Surat-based business groups met the remaining sum through donations.

Interestingly, the Delhi Police team found that the commissioner of Surat Police had formed a trust, wherein the industrialists were invited to become trustees with a donation of Rs 25 lakh.

The chairman of the trust — Surat Police commissioner — and the trustees discuss the way to make the city safe.

Inaugurating the project in January 2013, Modi had said it was the best example of convergence of human and technological capacities.

“Today, when people with criminal mentality have started misusing latest technology, its good use by police for the security of common men has become necessity,” Modi had said.
He hoped the project will be proved effective in crime detection and in dropping the crime rate.