AI-Based CCTV Cameras, Panic Buttons Installed on Chennai Buses to Improve Safety of Women, Children

To prevent crimes on public transport, the Tamil Nadu Police is using Artificial Intelligence software systems, which offer analytics on incidents such as theft, eve-teasing, violence, abduction and vandalism.

Earlier, the transport department had put its departments on AI but now the state police too have installed the new system.

The Greater Chennai Police has an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) under the Chennai Safe City Project (CSCP) on the premises of the Commissioner’s office at Vepery.

The police said the ICCC will use state-of-the-art technology and AI-based software system, which offers analytics features coupled with alerts to facilitate immediate action on the crime incidents.

“Video analytics on crimes such as chain/hand bag / mobile snatching, eve-teasing, women surrounded by men/violence, abduction, vandalism, vehicle theft and camera tampering are made available in this system,” said a senior police official.

City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal inaugurated the ICCC. Under the project, a total number of 5,250 CCTV cameras are being installed at 1,750 identified key locations across Greater Chennai Police limits and the live feeds of all such cameras would be monitored at the ICCC.

Feeds from 4,008 CCTV cameras installed at 1,336 locations would be viewed at the ICCC in the first phase. Further, the CCTV camera feeds will be viewed at the Commissioner’s office round the clock, the official said.

A software has been designed to alert the ICCC for taking appropriate action even in case of SOS gestures made on the camera by women in distress. The video feeds will be stored in a data centre and live monitoring will be done in the ICCC and the same will be made available at the offices of (six) Joint Commissioners of Police and (12) Deputy Commissioners of Police.

Meanwhile, AI is in use in 500 Chennai Metropolitan Buses. “There are Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled panic button-cum-CCTV surveillance project in 500 Chennai buses as part of an initiative to improve the safety of women and children,” said the official.

The state transport department has planned to provide this facility in about 2,500 buses under the Nirbhaya Safe City Project and in the first phase 500 buses in the metro city have been provided with four panic buttons, AI-enabled Mobile Network Video Recorder (MNVR) and three cameras each.

The MNVR will be connected to a cloud-based control centre via a 4G GSM SIM card. In case of any inconvenience, discomfort or threat caused by fellow passengers while travelling, the women passengers could press the panic button to record the incident.