Mumbai - CCTV cameras bring down crime rate: Survey

Want to prevent crime? Install a closed circuit television (CCTV) camera inside your housing society complex. A recent study has indicated that societies with a network of CCTV cameras witness a decrease in the crime rate.
The survey was done by security solution provider Zicom in 100 housing societies. As per the study, as many as 40 incidents of crime were reported in these housing societies. But after the cameras were installed, there was a dip in total number of incidents, as the surveillance system proved to be a deterrent. In 2015, the number of such incidents came down to 18 cases, a drop of 22 per cent.

"This fall in crime rate is due to proactive steps taken. The survey was conducted from Mumbai till Thane, and it was noticed that CCTV's presence on the road itself was effective in many cases," said Pramoud Rao, promoter-managing director of the Zicom Group.

Not only in the premises, many working parents have installed CCTV cameras in their drawing rooms, to keep an eye on their baby-sitters. They can access the live footage on their smartphones, so that they can ensure the infant is safe while they are out. Besides, several breakthroughs in police investigations have happened only due to the footage captured by CCTV cameras. For example, the case of abduction, rape and murder of young techie S Esther Anuhya of Andhra Pradesh.