After a long wait, Delhi government now started installing CCTVs all over the city. Being a major move towards the safety of women, the project expects reduction of crimes to a larger extent. According to the chief minister of Delhi Aravind Kejrival, a total of 2.80 lakh cameras will be installed across the city.
After the Nirmbhaya incident, Delhi came to the spotlight on women safety. According to the National Crime Records Bureau data, Delhi was reported as the most unsafe among 19 major cities, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of rapes , 33 per cent of crimes against women and the highest crime rate in 2016. As per police records, Delhi sees one murder, six robberies, as many rapes, nine molestations, 19 snatchings, 126 vehicle thefts and 17 fatal road accidents every day, besides the ever present threat of terrorist attacks. A total of 236,476 cases were registered in 2018, with an increase in the number of murders (3.25 per cent) and thefts (7.7 per cent), particularly of vehicles (12.98 per cent), even as street crimes such as robberies and snatching came down from the previous year. Delhi came in just two positions shy of being the worst state when it comes to safety of girls and women (Gender Vulnerability Index by NGO Plan India).
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) has become a mainstream crime prevention strategy around the world. According to some researchers, the camera surveillance systems in the UK discourage criminals and thus preventing crime. London has managed to bring down crime by 80 per cent by the use of CCTVs. Scholars have concluded that increased offender apprehension, increased natural surveillance, publicity, and improved citizen awareness are potential mechanisms of CCTV‐generated crime reduction. CCTV was associated with a 16% reduction in crime, which was a significant effect. This effect was driven by a 51% reduction in crime in the car park schemes, with CCTV in the other settings having small and nonsignificant effects on crime. Estimates from the United Kingdom suggest the presence of over 4.2 million cameras, a ratio of 1 per every 14 citizens. In the United States, 49% of local police departments report using CCTV, with usage increasing to 87% for agencies serving jurisdictions with populations of 250,000 or more. Philadelphia’s CCTV cameras generated a 13% reduction in overall crime, a 16% reduction in disorder, but no change in serious crime.
The findings of each area are shown below:
City outskirts: Following its installation,
recorded crime decreased by 28 per cent.
Hawkeye
Vehicle crime saw a statistically significant 73 per cent
decrease following camera installation. Car parks experienced different levels of crime and
those with a high and medium level of risk of crime suffered statistically significant 80 per cent
and 62 per cent decreases. The sharp decrease in crime demonstrated a deterrent effect. The
police were also provided with evidence allowing them to arrest known offenders, showing
that the system also worked by detection.
City Hospital
Crime
rates were low before the implementation of CCTV, and a non-significant reduction in the
overall level of crime after CCTV implementation was primarily caused by a reduction in
vehicle crime. Although the cameras may have deterred vehicle crime, this reduction may
also be attributed to other crime reduction measures.
South City
The number of public order incidents
increased and this could be attributed to increased reporting of incidents by the control room.
Although fear of crime reduced after CCTV was implemented, the findings suggested that this
was not caused by the presence of cameras, but other crime reduction measures operating in
the area.
Shire Town
There was an overall decrease in
recorded crime following the installation of CCTV, but these were non-significant and could be
attributed to fluctuating crime trends experienced across the division as a whole.
Market Town
There was an overall increase in recorded crime
following the installation of CCTV, but this could be attributed to random fluctuations
experienced across the division as a whole.
Borough Town
Following their installation, overall crime remained unchanged, and any change in
individual offences was attributed to changing local crime trends and other initiatives
operating in the area, one of which possibly caused displacement into the target area, thus
increasing crime.
Northern Estate
Following
their installation, overall crime showed a non-significant reduction, which could not be
attributed to CCTV. However, there was a noticeable reduction in burglary, which was shown
to have displaced into areas outside the cameras’ viewshed. Feelings of safety increased in
comparison to the control area.
Westcap Estate
There was a statistically significant reduction in worry about being a victim of crime. Although
there was a high level of awareness of the cameras, the presence of cameras did little to
reassure residents. A reduction in reported victimisation most likely accounted for the
decrease in worry about crime.
Eastcap Estate
Following their installation, overall
crime levels increased in line with the control, although reductions in specific targeted
offences, especially vehicle crime, suggest a deterrent effect. Fear of crime levels remained
unchanged.
Dual Estate
Recorded crime reduced in the small residential area (Area A), which had a high level of
camera coverage, and there was a high level of awareness of the cameras. However, small
numbers of crimes were involved. Conversely, crime increased in the larger residential area
(Area B), which had just six per cent of coverage. Hotspot coverage of the shopping parade
saw a 49 per cent decrease in shoplifting in this area. Worry about being a victim of crime
reduced in both areas, significantly so in Area B compared to the control area.
Southcap Estate
Recorded crime saw
an increase in the areas covered for the longest period. The overall increase consists of a rise
in violence against the person, which can be accounted for by a change in Home Office
counting rules. Worry about being a victim of crime reduced in the target area, but at a similar
rate as the control area.
Borough
Recorded crime increased
across the target, buffer and division area following the installation of CCTV. The scheme did
not appear to achieve its aim of tackling sporadic crime hot spot areas, as crime increased in
the target areas at a higher rate than the division. The presence of the cameras initially
reassured local residents, but these positive effects reduced when youths realised the
cameras were on auto-pan, thus were no longer deterred by their presence.
Deploy Estate
Taken as a whole, crime increased following its installation, accounted for largely by the
increase in criminal damage in one part of the area covered. This could be attributed in part to
a number of acts of vandalism against the cameras themselves. The proportion of individuals
who worried about being a victim of crime was largely unchanged in both surveyed areas
before and after CCTV installation.
(This document is available only in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)
through the RDS website
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds)
Mail Today
report revealed that the number of well-entrenched touts in some of the Delhi
government offices in Civil Lines, Mall Road, Burari, Janakpuri and Matiyala
had reduced sharply within two months of the scheme's launch. The programme
launched in in last September 2018 has overwhelming response from the citizens. More than ten lakhs request were handled under the programme. There are 150 mobile sahayaks, 200 call centre executives, and 50 dealing assistants are working under the programme. The programme envisaged to implement in three
phases which comprises of a total of hundred services. Government is planning to make DSD a single window inorder to curb touts and intermediaries. A dedicated professional project management unit is constituted and hired an agency to strengthen the operation of the scheme.
