Doubting the lens: Bengaluru's CCTV cameras under scrutiny

Bengaluru: Bengaluru boasts close to three lakh closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, but residents remain unconvinced about the safety they offer. Some believe that there is a need for more cameras, considering the population density and the growing crime rate. Others raised concerns about the functionality of the existing cameras.

In many areas, residents noted dysfunctional or unmonitored cameras. The CCTV cameras are installed by various stakeholders, and as a result, there is no single authority overseeing their functioning, they said.

“There are a few cameras in the area but we definitely need more. We have also written to the police requesting more, especially in areas that report more crimes and thefts. There are numerous examples of these cameras helping crackdown on offenders and prevent crimes,” said Saud Dastagir, Vice President of the Fraser Town Residents’ Welfare Association.

Christopher Cruz, an executive member of the North East Resident Welfare Association (NERWA), shared a similar view.

“In instances of chain snatching or mobile snatching, we have worked with the police to source CCTV footage. It was then that we realised that many of the cameras, especially those installed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), are not working. Many times, there are cameras but nobody knows who is monitoring them or how we can get the footage.”

While most residents were satisfied with the working of the cameras installed by the police, they pointed out that those installed or maintained by the BBMP were of no help.

“A few years ago, we got close to 15 cameras installed using the funds from Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and these were handed over to BBMP for maintenance. However, in just a few months, they stopped functioning since the BBMP did not pay the power bills. Now, we residents have taken the initiative and connected them to one of the houses nearby to ensure they don’t go defunct,” said Sneha Nandihal, a member of ‘I Change Indiranagar’.

Residents pointed out that the majority of the CCTV cameras in Whitefield, Marathahalli, and the Outer Ring Road were not functioning, and they emphasised the importance of functional cameras in tracing missing people. A volunteer with the Whitefield Rising citizens’ group said that the footage is crucial, especially in instances that involve tracing missing people.

“Over the last month, we received reports of three missing children and four missing adults. If the cameras are functional, it will make tracing missing people easier and faster, along with addressing many other law and order, safety, and security issues,” the volunteer said.

Acknowledging that some CCTV cameras may not be functioning, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananda told DH that the police could not interfere with the working of cameras installed by private parties.

“Although there are dysfunctional cameras, the numbers are minimal. In cases where MLAs and Resident Welfare Associations have installed cameras, many of them are out of service. We can neither maintain them nor force them to do it,” he said.

Aim to improve surveillance

The police department is collaborating with citizens and commercial establishments to enhance coverage. The department plans to increase the number of CCTV cameras to at least 500,000 by the end of the year.

To expand the area under CCTV coverage, the police will enforce the Karnataka Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act, 2017. This act mandates that commercial establishments, schools, hospitals, or any public places with a footfall of 100 at a time or 500 in a day install CCTV cameras.

Police inspectors have been directed to regularly inspect all the establishments in their jurisdiction and maintain a report. The Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), in charge of that jurisdiction, has been instructed to penalize them with Rs 5,000 for the first offense and Rs 10,000 for subsequent violations until they implement the rule.

Acknowledging the role Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) play, police are also approaching them to partner and set up CCTV cameras. Recently, RWAs in Thalaghattapura police station limits partnered with the police and installed 300 cameras in their area.

“Such initiatives are welcome. When people set up such infrastructure, they display their responsibility towards the city, and this also inspires the police personnel and holds us accountable,” Dayananda said.

Cameras geotagged 

To ensure they have the location of every CCTV camera at their disposal, the police have geotagged every public camera. This will help them identify the CCTV cameras available at the crime spot within a few minutes using the Mobile Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (MCCTNS). The investigating officers can then reach out to the owner and obtain access to visuals from these cameras. 

Non-functional CCTV cameras in front of BangaluruOne Centre in (left) Sampangirama Nagar and Shanthi Nagar BMTC bus terminal.

Non-functional CCTV cameras in front of BangaluruOne Centre in Sampangi Rama Nagar and Shanthi Nagar BMTC bus terminal.

New tech soon

The Bengaluru City Police have installed 7500 cameras under the Safe City project of which 2700 are yet to be operational. Along with surveillance features these new cameras are Artificial intelligence enabled and have the ability to recognise faces and number plates. Going ahead these cameras will allow the police to track suspects by feeding their images to the system. Once the system is fed with the image of the suspects the police can identify their location if they pass through any of these cameras and also track them live on the map until they are moving in the areas covered by the AI-enabled cameras. This will help the police to act swiftly. The system will also be fed with a database of habitual offenders and this will help them track their movements. Using their locations and camera visuals Police can both detect and predict crimes they might get involved in.