13,000 CCTV Cameras Watch Streets in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam has emerged as the city with the highest number of CCTV cameras -- a record 13,000 units having been installed in the past 10 months.

The surveillance network, which includes both government and private cameras, has been systematically expanded of late. From 2019 to June 30, 2024, there were 57,526 private CCTV cameras in the city. An additional 12,265 private cameras have been installed since July 1, 2024.

The government surveillance network currently consists of 1,394 cameras. Last year saw 1,059 functioning cameras with 561 non-operational units. Some 468 cameras were repaired this year. Currently, 93 government CCTV cameras remain non-functional.

Some maintenance issues remain, particularly along the popular Beach Road and at some traffic signal junctions, where several cameras remain in a damaged mode or are obscured by overgrown vegetation.

City police commissioner Sankhabrata Bagchi acknowledged the problems. "Repairs are currently under way. In a network of this magnitude, we cannot focus criticism on one or two non-functioning units across the city. There is remarkable progress in our surveillance capabilities," he claimed.

The commissioner highlighted numerous cases where CCTV footage proved crucial in solving crimes. Till now, a total of 522 cases were solved using government CCTV cameras and 75 cases were solved with the help of private CCTV.

The commissioner said the police have also deployed drones in the city to curb illegal activities. "We currently have 7 drones and will acquire around 50 more soon. With 2,700 police personnel in the district, our aim is for everyone to learn drone operation so that each station can have 2 drones."

The commissioner added that 30-40 officers are being trained daily by professionals. These drones are being deployed at traffic signals to register violations.

Notably, the AP high court recently directed the DGP to formulate a detailed plan ensuring the functioning of CCTV cameras in all police stations across the state.

A division bench of Justices R Raghunandan Rao and Manmadha Rao issued these orders following a Public Interest Litigation cited failures to comply with a 2015 Supreme Court directive mandating CCTV installation in police stations and jails. The DGP must submit a comprehensive report on the implementation plan by June 17, 2025.