The initiative, part of the Mobile Companion for Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (MCCTNS), is aimed at streamlining surveillance, improving crime response times, and aiding in more precise investigations
In a major step towards tech-driven policing and public safety, the Bengaluru city police have geo-tagged more than 5.35 lakh closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras across the city. The effort, which marks a sharp rise from 2.32 lakh cameras recorded at the start of the year, is being positioned as a foundational move to modernise law enforcement with digital infrastructure.
“This marks a significant jump from 2.32 lakh geo-tagged cameras on January 1, 2024 — an increase of more than 3 lakh cameras in just over a year,” city police commissioner B Dayananda told the media on May 6.
The initiative, part of the Mobile Companion for Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (MCCTNS), is aimed at streamlining surveillance, improving crime response times, and aiding in more precise investigations. Cameras have been installed across a broad range of critical locations — from residential and commercial zones to highways, educational institutions, traffic junctions, hospitals, and banks.
Each camera is now tagged with a unique identification number and logged into a secure departmental database accessible only to the police. The digital mapping allows officers to instantly identify where surveillance exists — or is lacking — in any given area, particularly useful in high-crime zones or locations under investigation.
“This initiative is designed to provide the police with precise, location-based digital surveillance data, aiding faster and more accurate crime investigations and emergency response,” Dayananda said.
Beyond supporting day-to-day operations, the database is being seen as a springboard for future smart policing applications. These could include predictive patrolling, urban crime heat mapping, and AI-enabled video analytics, according to police officials involved in the project’s development.
The project also highlights discrepancies in surveillance coverage. By identifying areas without CCTV visibility, the department plans to fill security gaps through targeted installations — ensuring no critical zone is left unmonitored.
Developed in close coordination with MCCTNS developers, the initiative is expected to bolster upcoming policing programmes under the smart city and digital governance frameworks. “The initiative… is expected to support a host of future tech-driven policing programmes such as smart patrolling, digital city security, and analytical investigation systems,” Dayananda noted.
According to the latest data as of April 30, the West division leads with 1.05 lakh cameras, followed by Whitefield with 1 lakh, South-East with 77,786, South with 59,804, East with 55,355, North with 67,457, North-East with 51,228, and Central division with 18,269.
At the same time, the city’s law enforcement is reinforcing the Karnataka Public Safety (Measures) Enforcement Act, 2017. The law mandates that all commercial spaces, schools, hospitals, and public venues with a footfall of at least 100 people at a time — or 500 in a day — must have CCTV systems installed.
While critics may question the balance between security and surveillance, city officials maintain that data from these cameras is held securely and used solely for crime prevention and investigation purposes. With Bengaluru’s population and digital footprint rapidly expanding, the police say such surveillance infrastructure is no longer optional but necessary.
As the city edges further into smart policing territory, how this growing surveillance network is governed — and how effectively it deters crime — will be closely watched.
