Under SAAR – Sameeksha series of Smart Cities Mission (SCM) launched in Nov 2023, 50 national level impact assessment studies were carried out on Indian smart cities on various themes by twenty-nine (29) premier institutions of India. In this series, a study on ‘What has been the impact of real-time tracking in incidences of criminal activities in Indian Smart Cities especially crime against women? was undertaken by IIM Bangalore. The study assesses the impact of security and surveillance measures, including real-time incident tracking, CCTV cameras, IoT-enabled devices, and their integration with Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs) in ensuring urban safety of women and girls. The national level study has focused on smart cities of Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and Tumakuru (Karnataka) for detailed primary impact assessment. Other key outcome of the report includes the following:
- Across 93 Smart Cities, over 59,802 CCTV cameras and emergency call boxes have been installed, with real-time monitoring system through ICCCs has contributed to a safer urban environment for women. Integration of surveillance systems with police operations has enhanced evidence-based policing nationwide.
- Chennai and Tumakuru leveraged advanced monitoring systems, integrating safety cameras with ICCCs to assist law enforcement in gathering critical evidence for resolving crimes efficiently.
- Nagpur reported a 14% decline in overall crime rates post-implementation of surveillance measures.
The implementation of smart surveillance systems has reduced instances of harassment, assault and other crimes in areas with robust safety measures. Women in these three cities reported increased confidence in assessing public spaces.
The Report can be downloaded from the weblink https://www.iimb.ac.in/node/13673.
