Bengaluru's blue lifeline: 50 ‘safety islands’ offer instant SOS for women in distress

Bengaluru: In a significant upgrade to its urban security infrastructure, the Bengaluru city police, under the Safe City project, has deployed 50 high-tech 'safety islands' across key locations.

These blue, telephone booth-like structures serve as an immediate lifeline for women and persons in distress, offering instant, hands-free connection to the police command centre.

Launched on June 30 last year, the initiative has already demonstrated its effectiveness. The Command-and-Control Centre has responded to 188 distress calls, including 62 cases related to mobile theft, indicating rapid adoption by the public.

The safety islands are strategically installed at 50 high-footfall and high-risk zones, and their locations are now available on Google Maps. They operate even without a mobile network or device, requiring only the press of an SOS button to activate a direct audio link to the police.

Tech-backed surveillance

The booths are equipped with advanced surveillance and communication technology to ensure rapid, targeted response.

Each island features a robust system comprising:

AI-enabled CCTV cameras: Including one fixed camera and one Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) camera, which provides 360-degree coverage of the area.

Two-way communication: Allowing real time dialogue between the person in distress and the police officer monitoring the command centre.

Public announcement speakers: Used by police to provide immediate emergency instructions or crowd guidance during a crisis.

This integrated setup ensures that an Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) vehicle can be dispatched immediately, with the officer at the command centre having a live feed and audio link to the scene.