Delhi Police might soon get 10,000 more closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras to keep a close watch on street crime across the sprawling capital.
According to informed sources, the police had requested the home ministry for 10,000 more CCTV cameras to be installed on roads. They are likely to get the approval soon. The CCTV cameras will help the police in not only averting crimes on roads but collect evidence and quickly nab the culprits.
Delhi, with a population of over 16 million and growing, has close to 22,000 CCTV cameras installed all around the city.
"CCTV cameras are of immense help. Of the total cameras, Delhi Police have installed 3,586 cameras, whereas 17,303 have been installed by the members of the public," the sources told IANS.
"Civic agencies have also installed 992 cameras," the source added.
Police said there has been many a case where they have been able to nab the culprits with the help of the CCTV cameras.
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One such instance was when Delhi Police was able to identify five accused who had stabbed a man to death in south Delhi with the help of the CCTV cameras.
The horrific way the murder took place on the Delhi road was also flashed on all major television channels.
Police said though there are no guidelines for installing the CCTV cameras that can record live videos and record footage up to 20 days, they have asked members of the public to install these cameras for their own safety on many an occasion.
"We have installed cameras at many places. But at crowded market locations, we ask shopkeepers to install them outside their shops," a police officer told IANS.
"Mall owners and hotels are also advised to install them," the officer told IANS.
District-wise figures obtained by IANS reveal that Outer Delhi has the highest number of cameras: 4,529 by the public, 246 by Delhi Police and 186 by civic agencies.
The reason: More malls and shopping arcades and also more of street crime.
The New Delhi area - home to the VVIPs like the president, prime minister, ministers, the diplomatic community and the large number of bureaucrats - has a minimum number of public-installed CCTV cameras.
Delhi Police have installed 400 cameras in this high-profile security zone and a majority of them are around the periphery of parliament, which was attacked by armed Pakistani terrorists on 2001. Twelve people, including the five terrorists, were killed in the attack.
In the southwest district, members of the public have installed 236 cameras, while the police and civic bodies have installed 549 and 53 cameras respectively.
People, including shopkeepers, have installed 1,595 cameras and the police 174 in west district.
In the case of north district, the public has installed 1,057 cameras, while the police have put up 420 cameras.
The central district has 540 cameras installed by the public and 240 by the police.
In the east district 4,000 cameras were installed by the public, 350 by the police and 327 by civic agencies.
The north-east district has 500 cameras placed by the public, 70 by the police and 24 by civic agencies.
In northwest district, at least 2,400 cameras were installed by public and 237 by police.
In the south district, 1,900 cameras were installed by the public, 450 by the police and 372 by civic agencies.
In the southeast district, 546 cameras are installed by public, 397 by the police and 30 by civic agencies.
The monitoring is done by the individual agencies that have installed the CCTV cameras, with the footage being made available to the police in case a crime is committed.
Delhi Police said as CCTV cameras have been of immense help to them in cracking cases, they want the numbers to go up steadily.
(Alok Singh can be contacted at alok.s@ians.in)