Chennai: The City Police Commissioner, A K Viswanathan today inaugurated 50 CCTV camera facilities at T Nagar as part of stepping up security in the city ahead of Deepavali.
He said 500 additional police personnel will be deployed at the busy shopping hub to ensure safety during the festive season. He also said drones will be used for surveillance.
With the neighbourhood of T Nagar getting crowded for Deepavali, cases of pick-pocketing and chain-snatching are being reported.
As of now, the shopping areas have 1096 CCTV cameras and an additional 50 new cameras have been added in Usman Road and Ranganathan Street. Drones and body worn cameras will also be used to monitor the crowds.
Three watch towers have been erected where policemen will be watching the public using binoculars. A temporary control room has also been sent up.
Face Tag Cameras, the latest technological advancement for the city police, will be used. The Face Tag Cameras already have pictures of history-sheeters, and they would easily detect their presence in the crowd. The cameras have been installed near Pothys, Ranganathan Street and near Mambalam Railway Station.
An additional 500 policemen will be working three shifts, 24 hours, the Commissioner said.