Justified measure or a case of Big Brother?

Chennai: 07.07.10. For City: Camera watching by Police at Elliots Beach. Photo: M_Karunakaran

Technology has come to increasingly dominate our day-to-day lives. From bill payments to grocery shopping, information portals to security systems that keep us safe in our cities – the overarching presence of technology is everywhere around us.

However, greater ease of use and access always comes at a cost. Progress is accompanied with its own set of perplexing questions. A case in point is the recent installation of four security cameras along on the Elliots Beach stretch that are part of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system.

At present, the footage is being monitored at the police outpost on Elliots Beach. A broadband network is expected to soon take the footage simultaneously to the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Adyar.

Two high-speed multi-dome cameras and two fixed camera are part of the CCTV system. The high speed cameras are capable of rotating 360 degrees, have superior zooming features and night vision. The zoom can be used to identify vehicle registration numbers and police feel it will deter bike racers.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Shakeel Akther says the primary aim of such installations was to ensure safety by monitoring criminal activities and build public's confidence in the policing system.