500 hi-tech eyes will zoom in to identify terror threat

500 hi-tech eyes will zoom in to identify terror threat
Surveillance Cameras At Strategic Locations
A T Subrahmanya | TNN

Bangalore: When the next terror attack could be from anywhere, the city police are stepping up preventive measures. They’re working on a plan to instal video surveillance systems at 500 strategic locations in Bangalore to identify potential threats and neutralize them.
The system has been conceived under the central government’s mega city scheme and as part of the state government’s efforts to modernize the police force. Police stations in the city were asked to identify vulnerable and strategic locations in their limits and about 500 locations have been identified. The police inspectors of the respective stations then submitted their reports, based on which the final locations of the cameras were decided.
The cameras will be state-of-the-art ones capable of turning 360 degrees, and zooming in and out to get clear images. The control room will also be equipped with a video analytics system with which the police can also record live images beamed across their screens to study them later.
Explaining the surveillance system, ADGP (telecommunication, transport and modernization) M K Srivastava told TOI that these cameras would be grouped or termed as ‘clusters’ and a particular cluster would be monitored in the zonal control room. Periodic reports would be submitted to the master command control at the DG headquarters.
The connectivity of these cameras would be either IP-based or through optic fiber cables. Right now, e-tendering for the project is on through the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation. Srivastava said that the process of e-tendering and reverse auctioning has been deployed for increased transparency.
Already, surveillance cameras have been deployed in Vidhana Soudha as part of the pilot project. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2009 and the police are training personnel in handling camera images and maintenance. The traffic police have already installed such surveillance cameras in several parts of the city to manage traffic movement.
WATCHING EVERY MOVE 500 locations across the city Cameras can rotate through 360 degrees They can zoom in and out as required Images can be stored for analysis Tendering process on System in place by March 2009