Pune: CCTV cameras help curb criminal activities

PUNE: Technology has become a key tool to tame criminals.


The teeming Market Yard area, off Pune-Satara Raod, has recorded a drop in vehicle thefts and pickpocketing cases in the past two months. The change, senior police inspector S S Nimbalkar said, came after the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and shop owners installed 270 CCTV cameras in the area.

“On an average day, the Market Yard sees thousands of people flocking from the adjoining villages and districts, apart from the city, with cash, vehicles and other valuables for trading. The area remains crowded even during the night, as the farmers and traders from far-off locations reach the market with their produce,” a police officer said.

Nimbalkar said about six months ago, the officers from the Market Yard police station started reaching out to the APMC authorities, traders and other stakeholders in a bid to urge them to install CCTV cameras in their establishments.

“We managed to convince most of them. We also have a couple of hutments along Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar and Gultekdi under the CCTV surveillance now,” Nimbalkar said.

A few months ago, the city police commissioner, K Venkatesham, had started a special drive urging the common people and authorities to install CCTV cameras to prevent crimes. “Footage from CCTV cameras is proving instrumental in providing us with evidence required to detect cases of robberies and pickpocketing, among others,” said Nimbalkar.

Nimbalkar said at present, there are 150 CCTV cameras at the Market Yard’s vegetable market. The flower market stretch is covered under 20 CCTV cameras, whereas the grocery section has 100 CCTV cameras installed.

“Of it, APMC installed 160 cameras, while the traders and local associations of vendorsthe installed the rest,” he said.

The CCTV cameras were installed in the crowded sections of the market and the parking areas after thorough mapping of the crime scenarios by the Market Yard police, Nimbalkar said.

“Two months ago, we attained the target of installing the CCTV cameras and successfully geo-tagged them,” he said.

“The installation of the CCTV cameras has acted as a deterrent. Vehicle thieves and pickpockets have refrained from committing crimes,” Nimbalkar added.