Coimbatore district police unveil state-of-the-art master command and control centre

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore district police have inaugurated a state-of-the-art master command and control centre (MCCC) at the district police office. Designed to serve as a 24x7 technological nerve centre, the facility aims at addressing the security challenges of a rapidly urbanising district whose population exceeds four million.The high-tech facility was inaugurated by district collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar along with inspector general of police (West Zone) R V Ramya Bharathi, deputy inspector general of police (Coimbatore range) P Saminathan, corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran and district superintendent of police K Karthikeyan on Thursday night.Spanning approximately 3,000 square feet on the building's fourth floor, the MCCC houses a central LED video wall, flanked by two additional LED screens. This setup provides operators with real-time visual feeds from across the district.Superintendent police Karthikeyan said the centre could do continuous monitoring of 36 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, 60 CCTV units installed on 13 state borders and 11 district border checkpoints, more than 1,500 CCTV cameras deployed in prominent hubs such as Pollachi, Valparai, Anaimalai, Periyanaickenpalayam, Karamadai and Sulur. Similarly, all the 40 police stations in the district have been equipped with localised CCTV systems and two-way communication units for direct supervisory oversight.To streamline operations, the MCCC functions via multiple specialised, round-the-clock desks manned by trained personnel. A smart surveillance desk tracks traffic violations and suspicious vehicular movements, while the emergency response monitoring desk oversees dial-100 calls, GPS fleet tracking and pink patrol units to optimise dispatch times.He said in an era of digital challenges, a dedicated social media monitoring desk to handle threat assessment by identifying online rumours, misinformation and potential communal flashpoints has been established. Additional specialised wings include dedicated desks for cybercrime, women and child safety, road safety and a drug-free Tamil Nadu monitoring cell.Furthermore, the facility bridges the gap with the public by integrating citizen-centric digital apps like the "Kovai DIGI-COP" WhatsApp Bot and the "Kaval Udhavi" app. Moving beyond reactive policing, a predictive policing desk analyses crime and criminal tracking network & systems (CCTNS) records alongside habitual offender databases to forecast regional crime trends, ensuring a safer, more transparent and citizen-friendly environment for Coimbatore.Karthikeyan said the facility was built at a cost of Rs 3 crore with the help of 15 private companies under corporate social responsibility (CSR) fund. This would be helpful in improving the efficiency of the police and solving public grievance soon, he added.