E-Paper
Project Doordrishti: Network of CCTVs built with public support, advantage Kannauj police
In one year, regular interactions with the police made people set up CCTV cameras across the district, building a network of 1,000 cameras
As crime threatened to spiral out of control, the brainwave of the district top cop reigned things in. What began as an experiment by the Kannauj police, has today taken the shape of a public initiative, one which the public can take the credit of, as also its benefits.
In one year, regular interactions with the police made people set up CCTV cameras across the district, building a network of 1,000 cameras.
The cameras are now helping the police solve some of the trickiest crimes, which were blind cases and hard to crack.
The feed from these cameras goes to the control rooms at the local police station and is continuously monitored.
Kunwar Anupam Singh, SP, Kannauj, who spearheaded this plan, named Project Doordrishti, said the CCTVs are now integral to policing aimed at making the district safe.
“It started about a year ago in Saurikh, where I urged cloth traders to install CCTV cameras. They all agreed and quickly had them placed strategically,” said Singh.
Thereafter, police officers at police post level went on to request the market associations, traders’ bodies, housing societies and common people. All chipped in.
As a result, 223 trisections and crossings have CCTVs. The dense pockets too have cameras installed in the lanes.
“At present, 1,000 points are under CCTV coverage. It has brought down the cases of theft, chain-snatching and brawls. People have understood the importance and are putting CCTVs on their own,” said Singh.
The biggest success of this project was in the identification of the serial rapist who was arrested last month. In October 2022, an 11-year-old girl was found behind the PWD guest house. She had been raped and left badly injured. The man arrested in this case was captured through the footage taken from 132 cameras. The serial rapist had killed two children and had nearly eight cases of child sexual abuse.
Similarly, the real people behind desecration of a religious place were identified through footage from these cameras and the crisis was nipped in the bud.
The police also identified and arrested the entire gang that carried out a major dacoity early this month at the house of a perfumer. Police managed to trace the vehicle they used with the help of footage, which helped the police build a map of routes they had taken. The footage will be crucial evidence in court.
Singh said the entire project entailed a cost of Rs1.5 crore but the police haven’t spent a single paisa. The entire network came up with public support. “There are some issues like the cameras are not good quality and often go kaput,” he said, adding the people have formed committees that look into the maintenance of these cameras.
