The e-surveillance system - Eagle Eye - which has been defunct for over two years is being revived by the Guntur Urban Police.
The state-of-the-art Internet Protocol (IP)-based video surveillance system was launched in 2009 by the then Superintendent of Police Mahesh Chandra Laddha as part of the Safe City community-based initiative aimed at improving public safety, providing advance tools for capturing evidence, reducing overall crime rate, and countering traffic snarls.
But it has been in a limbo for over two years for want of qualified personnel and prohibitive cost of operation and maintenance.
“We are reviving the video surveillance system soon. The BSNL will provide high-speed dedicated network and the charges will be paid by the Guntur Municipal Corporation,” Superintendent of Police, Guntur Urban, S. Syamsundar, told The Hindu on Thursday.
Mr. Syamsundar on Wednesday convened a meeting of the officials of the GMC and the BSNL and convinced them of the need to revive the project.
The Urban Police would extend the services to banks and other commercial establishments. Servers would be installed with a facility to provide storage and back-up of videos for two years.
“The surveillance wing will be manned by an officer of the rank of a DSP/Inspector and we will be allotting a batch of trained officers to the wing,” Mr. Syamsundar said.
Using an IP-based video surveillance for monitoring and controlling public movement during peak hours, traffic management, and public communication, the network promises an enhanced and comprehensive public safety surveillance structure.
An advanced intelligent video analytical system has been installed to recognise face, detect unattended object, detect licence plate, and set pre-programmed safety parameters with alarm systems.
The department has already installed 12 surveillance cameras at vital junctions under the jurisdiction of six police stations.