Chennai: Face-detection technology CCTVs in T Nagar this year, says A K Vishwanathan

250 cameras installed in city, 1,000 cops deployed.

Chennai: City Police Commissioner A K Vishwanathan on Sunday inaugurated CCTV cameras with face detection technology in the shopping hub, T Nagar ahead of Deepavali. With crowds thronging T Nagar before the festival, police have their task cut out in rounding up pickpockets and robbers who have field days every year at this time. 

The crowd serves as a perfect cover for them as they sneak their way out after a robbery. In a rerun of their 2013 experiment, City police have installed at least 150 cameras with face detection technology to aid them in identifying the usual suspects. “Pictures of more than 500 crime suspects have been fed into the system and an alert would be sent to the control room if any of the cameras identifies a suspect to be among the crowd,” a police officer said.

“This face recognition technology takes very less time to identify the image of the suspects that are fed and help police in locating them”, Commissioner A K Vishwanathan said.  
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Apart from the cameras equipped with face detection technology, 250 cameras have been installed at various other locations and over 1,000 policemen have been deployed on security detail. 
Five watch towers and three police booths have been set up in T Nagar. The control room would function from the police outpost near Pothys junction. In case of any emergency public can contact - 9498162626.