E-Paper
A digital shield: Soon, Mohali’s crime hotspots to come under CCTV surveillance
Out of the total 800 high definition CCTV cameras, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, to be installed in Mullanpur, Kharar, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi sub-divisions, police are going to install 568 cameras at crime hotspots
To combat the growing rate of street crimes in the peripheral areas of Mohali district, which has become a major concern for residents, local police are going to install 71% of the total closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the prominent crime spots with the help of local civic bodies and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Out of the total 800 high definition CCTV cameras, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, to be installed in Mullanpur, Kharar, Zirakpur and Dera Bassi sub-divisions, police are going to install 568 cameras at crime hotspots. The number is likely to increase further.
While 101 cameras will be installed at 24 crime spots in Zirakpur and 143 cameras will be installed at 36 such locations in Mullanpur. As many as 211 cameras will be installed at 51 prominent crime hotspots in Kharar, while 113 cameras will be installed at 33 sites across the Dera Bassi sub-division; including 18 cameras in Lalru’s nine crime hotspots, 31 cameras at seven locations in Handesra and another 64 cameras at 17 vulnerable locations under the Dera Bassi police station.
Police are also going to install 47 ANPR cameras at key identified locations in the peripheral areas.
A special focus has been laid at the inter-state entry and exit points in these subdivisions for better surveillance and crime detection.
“Cameras have already been installed in Zirakpur and control rooms will be set up at all the police stations with an aim to keep more vigil in their respective areas. One such control room has already been set up at the Zirakpur police station. Work is in progress across the district. With this, we will be able to curb crime in the district as criminals will not be able to escape for long from police”, a senior police officer said.
However, police are yet to compile figures for the cameras to be installed under CSR initiative and with the help of Mohali municipal corporation. CCTV cameras have already been installed at all the prominent markets in the city, including Phase-3B2, Phase-7, Phase-8, Sector 68 and Sector 70.
“To curb hooligans and anti-social elements in Mohali, police will set up cameras in key markets. Market associations have been roped in and have been requested to deploy security guards in case they want shops to operate at night too. Station head officers (SHOs) concerned will have access to these cameras on their phones. We want families to dine out without any fear of criminals in these markets,” a police officer privy to the development said.
PPHC installs CCTV cameras at 11 locations
Other than CSR initiative of Mohali police, Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC) has so far installed around 200 out of the total 400 CCTV cameras to be installed in the city.
PPHC is arming the local police with high-tech CCTV cameras, with focus on 20 vulnerable intersections. This is being done to keep a check on speeding, a primary cause of fatal accidents in the district, and detection of crime. PPHC has so far installed cameras at 11 locations. According to officials, cameras will be installed at five more locations within a week. To be installed at a cost of ₹17.7 crore, the 400 cameras are expected to rein in reckless driving, by way of prompting e-challans, thereby bringing down accidents and subsequent fatalities.
However, in a recent meeting, Mohali police also sought financial help of ₹50 crore from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority to install more cameras in the district.
Mohali SSP Deepak Pareek said installation of cameras will help the police to curb street crimes and will also prove to be a game changer for policing here.
