City police go hi-tech

By S. Shivakumar

CHENNAI, OCT. 5. If you find a police constable swiping an electronic card using a high technology reader on the road, don't be surprised. From Monday, police patrolling in Teynampet is going `E-beat', a technology-aided security system that will monitor their movement, on an experimental basis.

The security apparatus in the city has suddenly turned techno- savvy. Apart from the `E-Beat', police launched on Friday a `Closed Circuit Television Network' security system in the busy Ranganathan Street and the police are envisaging traffic enforcement in the city aided by GPS equipment.

Explaining the features of the new, `E beat', technology based patrol system on Thursday, Mr. K. Muthukaruppan, City Police Commissioner, said ``it is a highly sophisticated, simple and cost-effective solution to monitor the police beat system. It is a unique product, designed for robust and maintenance free operation designed and developed using radio frequency technology''.

During the first phase, the `E beat' patrolling system is being implemented at Teynampet at about 20 points in the area and would soon be extended to other areas. At these selected points, the electronic cards, which are the size of normal visiting cards would be implanted on the walls.

The moment the constable swipes the card using the `palm sized reader', the timing and date would get recorded on the reader. This information will later be read on a computer and a print-out taken. Senior officers will be equipped with `master readers'. Thus they can read directly from the electronic card on the visits by the beat constable.

``The amazing simplicity of operation makes `E beat' an ideal solution to monitor the police beat system. Currently, police personnel on patrol visit various beat locations and sign on the `beat book', registering the time and date. There are about 1500 beat points in different parts of the city``, Mr.Muthukaruppan adds.

The second aspect of the policing is the CCTV security network. Though cameras have not really been used in a big way in the city, the police say they plan to extend the system to business areas. The police will install CCTV cameras on NSC Bose Road as it would serve as a deterrent to criminals.

A CCTV network was launched on Ranganathan Street on Friday, on a sponsored basis. The local traders assured the commissioner that they would put up more cameras, in addition to the existing six, to create a fool-proof security system.

CCTV security cameras have fared poorly in general. While the police at Central and Egmore railway terminals claim the system there to be a success - several bag lifting criminals have been trapped after being caught on camera - other installations were silently wound up.

On the traffic front, an advanced technolary aided with a GPS network for enforcement and monitoring of traffic is being envisaged as a long term solution to ensure smooth flow of traffic. The JCP (South), Mr. J. Tripathi, holding additional charge of Traffic said said the police were toying with the idea of traffic regulation with CCTV surveillance and radar components. The traffic signalling would be need based designed on the load of traffic.

The technology would enable the police to regulate vehicles more efficiently. Installation of CCTV cameras at important traffic junctions would help the police catch erring motorists and also accidents on the camera, he said.

The police are on the look out for sponsors for introducing these technology-based solutions. Insurance companies are to be approached as they are bound to gain the most by the new technology. The police would get pictures of accidents, and insurance companies could easily verify who was actually at fault.

At present, the driver of the bigger vehicle is invariably faulted by the traffic enforcement personnel.

Will new technology work in a city where conventional enforcement has been notoriously poor? Can the new security system be sustained as a long term measure and not go the way of the CCTV surveillance system which was wound up at Anna Nagar junction ? Though the system had a deterrent effect on erring motorists, it was abruptly wound up.

Another reason being cited for technology-based solutions not being sustainable in Chennai is that invariably vehicles of senior government officials themselves are found violating signals and lane discipline. It is common to find cars with red lights moving at great speed with little regard to other conditions on the road, on Kamarajar Salai and posing a threat to motorists. If these are captured on camera, officials may face embarrassment. The movement of cars of influential persons in a particular area would also be recorded, leading to embarrassment as they would not want their movements to be known, much less to create evidence of it.

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