‘Mumbai to be safer, will soon have 7,000 CCTV cameras’: Police Commissioner

Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Barve on Monday said that the number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the city will be doubled. At present, there are 4,800 CCTV cameras operative in Mumbai and a proposal to expand the CCTV network had been approved three months ago.

Barve was responding to a query regarding the rape and murder of 26-year-old veterinarian on the outskirts of Hyderabad, which has sparked nationwide protests. “The CCTV cover in the city is being doubled, and the strength will reach around seven thousand in a period of two to three months,” said Barve.

The top cop stated that CCTV cameras act as “huge deterrence as anonymity is killed”. Barve added, “Wherever we sensed vulnerability, we have increased the safety. Darker areas are well-lit, and patrolling has been increased at vulnerable locations.”

Mumbai Police has identified certain areas in northern and eastern suburbs of the city as being in need of enhanced safety.

Barve said his office had no specific advisory for women in the city and gave the assurance that police officers are always working on preventive action. He also said the “role of society also comes into the picture” when it comes to incidents of rape.

Command and control centres at the commissioner headquarters can monitor CCTV cameras installed anywhere in the city. There are viewing rooms in the offices of the additional and deputy commissioners to keep a watch on the CCTV feed. Local police stations will have access to the feed of the cameras installed in their jurisdiction.

In August this year, Ghatkopar police arrested a 35-year-old man with the help of CCTV footage for allegedly molesting at least six minor girls. The accused, Sachin Anant Shama, a tempo driver, would lure schoolgirls by offering them chocolates, take them to isolated areas and molest them, the police said.

The 10-year-old, on whose complaint Shama was arrested, told the police that while she was returning home from dance class on August 13, the accused took her to a deserted place and touched her inappropriately. A police team scanned CCTV footages from the area and got a photo of the accused, which helped the police identify and then arrest the accused.