Cover Story
CCTVs to make way for London-style number-plate recognition system
• RR Patil and Arup Patnaik among those who met Scotland Yard officers during a three-day anti-terror visit to London • Plans put in place to have 5,000 cameras across the city; 2,000 of them in vulnerable areas and tourist spots
Danish Khan
Mumbai will become the first city in India with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), a system widely used by the police in the UK to track down errant motorists, and as a key counter-terrorism tool.
This is the main ingredient that a high-profile delegation from Maharashtra, including Home Minister R R Patil and Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, will return with after a three-day visit to London aimed at increasing Mumbai's terror-security apparatus.
The group was in London to consult the Scotland Yard on the network of CCTV cameras used on city's roads but those involved in the discussions say they have collected a heap of information that could entirely change the Mumbai's security landscape.
"The idea now is to have not only CCTV cameras but the whole architecture to enhance the efficiency of these cameras. In this, ANPR is an important tool," said Narinder Nayar, Chairman of Bombay First, a group at the forefront of increased co-operation between Scotland Yard and the Mumbai Police.
This system, which tracks vehicles by instantly providing the complete details of its owners, played an important role in minimising the damage during the recent riots across the UK. It dramatically cuts down the time spent by investigators to track down the owners of vehicles that have been used to plant bombs. As things stand right now, this delay gives culprits crucial time to escape getting caught.
"The idea is to have a good, strong foundation to work out the best possible way for Mumbai," Nayar said. "The officers of the Scotland Yard were very co-operative. They literally opened their books to us."
But there will still be huge complications involved in getting a system such as ANPR up and running in Mumbai. "For ANPR the license plates have to be of a particular kind. We're aware of the work that needs to be done. But we're determined," said Nayar.
It can be revealed, however, that Mumbai will get 5,000 cameras to start with. Two thousand of them will installed in the first phase, in vulnerable areas and at popular tourist spots.
The delegation has also looked into the training of security personnel to monitor these cameras. "There has to be an effective response system after the installation of APNR. Scotland Yard has been able to prevent some attacks using cameras, and we've gathered all the information required," Nayar said.
On Monday, the delegation visited Scotland Yard's wireless department. On Tuesday, they were given a presentation by officers on the use of cameras, before visiting the Photographic Investigation Cell and the Lambeth control office. Wednesday was spent in meeting with officials of the UK Home Department.
When contacted, Scotland Yard was tight-lipped about the Indian delegation's visit. "Since this relates to counter-terrorism, we cannot disclose anything," a spokesperson told Mumbai Mirror.
How this will work
♦ ANPR cameras will be fixed at all major traffic signals, main roads, highways, petrol stations and malls.
♦ Mumbai already has CCTV cameras installed at sensitive locations. These could be converted to APNR systems.
♦ Mobile units will be used to track fleeing vehicles during chases, as in the UK.
♦ Millions of number plates will be read every day. Information like time, date and place of suspicious vehicle sightings will be recorded. Special data mining software will have to be used to find links and patterns.
This is the main ingredient that a high-profile delegation from Maharashtra, including Home Minister R R Patil and Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, will return with after a three-day visit to London aimed at increasing Mumbai's terror-security apparatus.
The group was in London to consult the Scotland Yard on the network of CCTV cameras used on city's roads but those involved in the discussions say they have collected a heap of information that could entirely change the Mumbai's security landscape.
"The idea now is to have not only CCTV cameras but the whole architecture to enhance the efficiency of these cameras. In this, ANPR is an important tool," said Narinder Nayar, Chairman of Bombay First, a group at the forefront of increased co-operation between Scotland Yard and the Mumbai Police.
This system, which tracks vehicles by instantly providing the complete details of its owners, played an important role in minimising the damage during the recent riots across the UK. It dramatically cuts down the time spent by investigators to track down the owners of vehicles that have been used to plant bombs. As things stand right now, this delay gives culprits crucial time to escape getting caught.
"The idea is to have a good, strong foundation to work out the best possible way for Mumbai," Nayar said. "The officers of the Scotland Yard were very co-operative. They literally opened their books to us."
But there will still be huge complications involved in getting a system such as ANPR up and running in Mumbai. "For ANPR the license plates have to be of a particular kind. We're aware of the work that needs to be done. But we're determined," said Nayar.
It can be revealed, however, that Mumbai will get 5,000 cameras to start with. Two thousand of them will installed in the first phase, in vulnerable areas and at popular tourist spots.
The delegation has also looked into the training of security personnel to monitor these cameras. "There has to be an effective response system after the installation of APNR. Scotland Yard has been able to prevent some attacks using cameras, and we've gathered all the information required," Nayar said.
On Monday, the delegation visited Scotland Yard's wireless department. On Tuesday, they were given a presentation by officers on the use of cameras, before visiting the Photographic Investigation Cell and the Lambeth control office. Wednesday was spent in meeting with officials of the UK Home Department.
When contacted, Scotland Yard was tight-lipped about the Indian delegation's visit. "Since this relates to counter-terrorism, we cannot disclose anything," a spokesperson told Mumbai Mirror.
How this will work
♦ ANPR cameras will be fixed at all major traffic signals, main roads, highways, petrol stations and malls.♦ Mumbai already has CCTV cameras installed at sensitive locations. These could be converted to APNR systems.
♦ Mobile units will be used to track fleeing vehicles during chases, as in the UK.
♦ Millions of number plates will be read every day. Information like time, date and place of suspicious vehicle sightings will be recorded. Special data mining software will have to be used to find links and patterns.
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