Lucknow Police Highlight Critical CCTV Failures in Crime Fighting
Police authorities in Lucknow have officially acknowledged that the city's surveillance infrastructure is plagued by severe deficiencies, significantly impairing efforts to detect and prevent criminal activities. This alarming gap in security has reportedly been exploited by various criminal gangs originating from eastern Uttar Pradesh, who use the lack of effective digital monitoring to commit crimes and escape without leaving traceable evidence.
Case Study: The "Lift-and-Loot" Gang Investigation
The urgency of this issue was brought into sharp focus during the recent investigation into a notorious "lift-and-loot" gang, which was apprehended last Friday. As previously reported by The Times of India, this criminal group operated by using a rented SUV without a license plate to rob unsuspecting passengers across multiple police station jurisdictions within Lucknow.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Zone) Rishabh Runwal provided detailed insights into how criminals strategically exploit surveillance weaknesses. "Our investigation revealed that these offenders deliberately select routes and areas with minimal or completely ineffective CCTV coverage," Runwal stated.
Kisan Path: A Major Surveillance Vulnerability
One particularly concerning vulnerability identified by police is Kisan Path, a crucial arterial road that spans approximately 100 kilometers around the city. Police records indicate that only 206 CCTV cameras are installed along this entire extensive stretch.
More critically, these surveillance devices suffer from multiple functional deficiencies. "These cameras lack storage facilities, have no number plate recognition (NPR) systems, and provide only live video feeds," Runwal explained. "This renders them virtually useless for post-crime investigations, vehicle tracking, or suspect identification purposes."
The police officer frankly admitted that the existing CCTV infrastructure along Kisan Path offers minimal to no assistance in either crime prevention or detection, despite this road being frequently utilized by inter-district and inter-state criminal networks.
Broader Surveillance System Failures
Investigators have also raised serious concerns about the broader CCTV networks implemented under the Safe City and Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) initiatives in the state capital. A significant majority of these cameras are reportedly either non-functional or plagued by persistent technical issues, substantially undermining their effectiveness in ensuring public safety.
An officer directly involved in the probe commented on this discrepancy between theoretical coverage and practical functionality. "On paper, the city appears to be well covered with surveillance technology, but ground reality reveals that many cameras are either completely defunct or highly unreliable," the officer revealed.
Police Push for Infrastructure Upgrade
Lucknow Police have formally communicated these critical concerns to higher authorities, emphasizing the urgent necessity to upgrade the city's surveillance infrastructure. Their recommendations include ensuring proper maintenance of existing systems, adding substantial storage capacity, and integrating advanced technological features such as automated number plate recognition.
These enhancements are considered essential to effectively counter organized crime networks that currently operate with relative impunity in and around the city, exploiting the technological gaps in Lucknow's security apparatus.
