A recent analysis published by UK tech firm, Comparitech reveals that one of the most populated cities in the world, Mumbai, with over two crore people has only 9,800 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras installed, which means that it has just 0.48 cameras per 1,000 people. While the report shows poor CCTV coverage considering the high number of people living in it, police officials are of the view that the current network is enough in the prevalent situation.
Mumbai, which is the ninth most populated city in the world, has only 0.48 cameras per 1,000 people, far less than the national capital Delhi, which has over three crore population and 4,29,500 CCTV cameras installed for surveillance and stands second with over 14.18 CCTV cameras per 1,000 people. Meanwhile, Hyderabad was the only Indian city in top 20 heavily surveyed cities in the world at 16, Chennai at 21 and Delhi at 33.
A senior police official told The Free Press Journal on condition of anonymity, "Mumbai Police already has advanced CCTV cameras with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) feature, high speed detection and night vision cameras, which are also installed at blind spots on arterial roads and slums to monitor activities. Some cameras are also installed at key spots on the coastline to beef up surveillance, which proves more than enough coverage for the city."
The network of CCTV cameras in Mumbai has proved to be a boon as the crime detection rate has evidently gone up a notch. According to police officials, the cameras work as their virtual third eye, thereby helping them detect crimes ranging from theft to murders and also crimes against women.
Moreover, the CCTV cameras used for security and traffic management which are spread across the city give an insight into the city’s day to day affairs. While the CCTVs are helping keep a sharp eye out on spots that are known for notorious activities, the captured images are increasingly helping officials in solving cases by producing strong evidence in the photograph/video format.
Recently, Matunga Police arrested a man, Umesh Jadhav, 35, for allegedly vandalising Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's residence Rajgruha earlier this month. Police said, Jadhav was traced as the accused with the help of CCTV cameras till Thane. He walked all the way till Thane on the Eastern Express Highway but they later lost his track as there were no cameras ahead.
