The
Traffic Emergency Information Center, opened some time ago amidst high
expectation, has claimed that installation of security cameras on streets,
ostensibly meant to monitor traffic, has led to a drop in street crimes like
drunken brawls, assaults, and robbery. Daily cases of assault around the
‘black” market have come down from 15-20 to 2-3. However, this is true only to
areas covered by cameras.

These
cameras can also be of help in apprehending those who commit a crime at night
and flee, but this will require more coordination between various wings of the
police. So far the center has helped police with 70 recordings of criminal acts.
Here, too, the problem could well be that security cameras cover only the main
streets while violence and robbery are more likely to happen in the back
streets.

The
center has been more effective in dealing with traffic problems, such as reducing
jams and identifying violations. It cannot give details on how they pursued the
cases until it hires more manpower. 
However, the most common driving offences are lane changing, ignoring
the white stop line, ignoring the red light, sudden stops, and going the wrong
way to save time.  

Some
10,000 such offenses were caught in camera during August, but the center is yet
to decide what action to take and how. This inaction is perhaps making drives
bolder, but the center says since it has the evidence safely stored, it will
come back to all offenders once the modalities are set up.