High-tech surveillance van for Coimbatore city police

A total of six mobile surveillance vans were sanctioned by the State Government for the police commissionerates in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem, Tiruchy, Madurai and Tirunelveli cities at an estimate cost of Rs 1.95 crore in August 2014 by the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa. 

However, purchase of the surveillance equipments was initiated only in April 2016. A firm in Coimbatore started installing the facility and customizing the vans. The vans for five other cities were delivered, tested and commissioned over the last three weeks. 

On Thursday, the last of these ‘Mobile CCTV Monitoring Units’ was dedicated by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP – Technical) P Kandasamy in Coimbatore. A senior police officer told DTNext that the modern surveillance van is fitted with six high resolution speed dome cameras. 

One such camera with 360-degree surveillance will be fitted to the corners of the van. Two more cameras will be erected atop the van. The van will also have two standby speed dome cameras. The air-conditioned van has three CCTV cameras – a 40-inch mail television and two additional 20-inch televisions. The vehicle has a recording capacity for 15 days. 

The vehicle stationed in the city will be moved to places to cover functions in which VIPs are participating and in case of a law and order issue. It will also be taken to the district and nearby places if needed. “We are planning to have advanced cameras that can cover longer distances with better clarity. Efforts are on to have live surveillance of the video feed from the modern control room in the city and enable senior police officers to view the same on their mobile phones. A microphone will also be fitted in the van to making public announcements,” an officer added. 

Police sources said that the west zone will be most benefited by the mobile surveillance vans as three city police units have such vehicles. A police officer said that the van in Coimbatore could also be moved to The Nilgiris as well. The van in Tirupur could be used in Erode and the van in Salem could be taken to Namakkal and Dharmapuri, if needed, he added.