The area outside Chennai airport, all the way till GST Road, has now come under surveillance by the city police with the installation of 41 new hi-tech CCTV cameras.
The footage of the cameras that function on a WiFi network will be monitored at an exclusive control room at the airport and simultaneously be available for viewing by the Commissioner of Police at his office.
The insides of the domestic and international terminals are equipped with surveillance facilities and manned by CISF personnel. Outside, the area including the parking lots and the main entry and exit routes falls under the purview of the city police.
A team under the supervision of Commissioner S. George recently carried out a swot analysis on the security outside the airport and installed the CCTV cameras, of which 39 are functioning, two weeks ago. The other two are yet to be connected to the network.
A new police booth set up at the airport functions as the immediate control room where the footage will be managed round the clock.
“We planned for the CCTV surveillance network following the kidnap for ransom of a UK couple from outside the airport on May 29. The footage from the new cameras covering the entire stretch outside the airport is being monitored by the Deputy Commissioner, St. Thomas Mount, at his office and if need be, I can tune in at my desk for checks,” Mr. George said.
The hi-end cameras equipped with night vision came in handy earlier this week when two passengers had an argument and one assaulted the other at a taxi bay in the early hours.
“The victim lodged a complaint with the Airport police and the attacker was tracked down as his action was caught on camera. The new cameras have also helped crack cases of unclaimed baggage by tracking down the person who abandoned them,” said an officer of the Airport police.
The security initiative that costs over Rs. 25 lakh is likely to be formally unveiled in the coming days, police sources said.
