Cameras to multiply police force effect in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said this week that the state government proposed to set up integrated surveillance camera system in Hyderabad by installing 5,000 cameras to detect and track terror suspects.

Addressing the National Integration Council (NIA) meeting in Delhi, he said the government had embarked on a safe city project.

He said due to the high density of population and low police-population ratio, the law enforcement agencies were finding it difficult to scale up police service delivery with the existing infrastructure and hence the government proposed to use technology as a force multiplier.

Kiran Reddy said communal peace and harmony can be ensured with political will, courage, commitment of administration at all levels, cooperation of all stakeholders and community empowerment.

He said the state had evolved Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for maintenance of communal harmony, preventive actions to be taken, tackling of communal disturbances, and rehabilitation of victims of communal violence.

He claimed that no major communal incident took places in the state during 2012 and 2013, showing that the measures adopted by the government are yielding dividends.

He told the meeting that state ensured tackling of emergent situations with objectivity, impartiality and quick response.

A centralised 'Dial 100' project was launched, through which any citizen from any part of the state can access the police in emergency. He said this will facilitate better service delivery for citizens especially to all disadvantaged sections including SC, ST, women, and minorities by bringing in accountability in the police.