Bengaluru to install 16,000 CCTV cameras with panic buttons

mangaloretoday/ yahoo

Bengaluru, Oct.23: The Karnataka government Tuesday proposed to install 16,000 surveillance cameras with safety lights and emergency buttons across Bengaluru for the safety of women under the Nirbhaya scheme. The Cabinet approved a Rs 667-crore plan.

Law and parliamentary affairs minister JC Madhuswamy said, “each CCTV camera will have a safety light and a panic button which will emit a loud siren when it is pressed. The Bengaluru city police will be identifying the spots to install CCTV cameras.”

The cabinet approved the request for proposal based on a plan submitted by the Bengaluru city police commissioner.

“The Centre will give 60 per cent of the funds, whereas the state will allocate the remaining 40 per cent. The Union Ministry for Wwomen and Child Development has already approved Rs 667 crore for Bengaluru under the Centre’s Safe City project under Nirbhaya funds,” he added.

According to officials, the CCTV cameras will be AI-enabled version called ‘Smart Eyes,’ which will detect abnormal human behaviour. The surveillance camera can also recognise the number of people who get together in public places and alert the police.

According to the proposal, 7,500 day and night surveillance cameras, 500 face recognition cameras, 5,000 fixed cameras, 20 drone-based cameras, 1,000 pan tilt zoom cameras, 1100 body-worn cameras, 1000 automated number plate recognition cameras, and 50 safety islands for women will be implemented in Bengaluru.

All cameras will be connected to a 40-seat Command and Control Centre, with two such centres that will be mobile.

The government also plans to upgrade the emergency helplines Namma 100 and 1098 (child helpline) under the Safe City project.