10,000 CCTV cameras to be installed across Tirunelveli

This will curb movement of criminals and help police to regulate traffic

The police have planned to install 10,000 CCTV surveillance cameras in various parts of the city under its jurisdiction within the next 60 days with the cooperation of traders’ associations and residents’ welfare associations to prevent movement of criminals and regulate traffic in a better way.

First, City Commissioner of Police N. Bhaskaran on Thursday put into use 93 cameras fixed along the four car Streets around Swami Nellaiyappar Temple, near Arunagiri Theatre, near Ganesh Theatre, Town Arch, Kaaatchi Mandapam, Thondar Sannidhi, Vazhukkodai Junction, Big Street, Mohamed Ali Street, Paattapaththu, Vaagaiyadi Corner, Sandhi Pillaiyar Temple Corner and near Kamatchi Amman Temple. Control room for these cameras has been established at Tirunelveli Town police station.

“The policeman manning the control room round the clock will regulate vehicular traffic through the public address system as speakers have been fixed at vantage points,” Mr. Baskaran said.

When former mayor of Tirunelveli Corporation Uma Maheshwari was found murdered in her house at Rose Nagar near Government College of Engineering on July 23 along with her husband Murugasankaran and housemaid Mariammal, the police could not crack the case due to absence of CCTV cameras in the victim’s house and in her daughter’s house. However, footages extracted from the CCTV cameras installed in a nearby eatery and a place of worship came to their rescue and the suspect was arrested after a week with the clues collected from these footages.

Having learnt a bitter lesson, the police have decided to install CCTV cameras in shops situated along all major roads and in residential areas. After monitoring suspicious movement of unidentified persons in their areas, residents of a few colonies in Tirunelveli have installed CCTV cameras with their own contribution and this move has discouraged unwanted elements from roaming around these areas.

“The traders are being persuaded to fix CCTV cameras in their shops and in front of their shops to monitor movement around their business establishments, particularly during odd hours. Similarly, we’re in touch with residents’ welfare associations in this connection. Hopefully, our target of fixing 10,000 cameras within the city limits within next two months will be achieved,” Mr. Bhaskaran said.

The police, who have started identifying commercial establishments where CCTV cameras have not been fixed so far, will ask owners of these buildings to fix cameras at the earliest.

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