Chennai: Residents of Nehru Ninaivu Nagar, Royapuram, have urged Greater Chennai Corporation and police to install CCTV cameras at key locations in the locality, citing a spate of crimes, including chain-snatching and murder. Locals said the absence of cameras has left several areas vulnerable, with no visible steps taken to strengthen surveillance.“Recently, there were two crime cases in the area. After multiple complaints, police took up the cases, but there were no steps taken to move the investigations forward. Several cases remain unsolved because there is no usable footage,” said Ajith Kumar, a resident of Nehru Ninaivu Nagar.Residents said the absence of cameras has left them feeling vulnerable, especially women, children and those returning home late at night. They said the lack of CCTV cameras has contributed to an increase in anti-social activities in the locality at night. Police patrols too have become less frequent in the neighbourhood, they added.The police, however, said the locality had not witnessed any major crime recently. Royapuram N1 law and order inspector S Anbukarasan said, “The locality has reported less than 10 cases, with nothing major such as murder. If residents want to install CCTV cameras, they can contribute money and install them. Otherwise, GCC can also them,” he said.“We no longer feel safe on our streets after dark. The authorities cannot wait for a serious incident to happen before taking action. Cameras must be installed in vulnerable stretches immediately to ensure accountability and improve safety,” said J Kamalesh, a resident.When contacted, Royapuram zonal officer N Sathyanarayanan said, “Steps will be taken by police to install CCTV cameras based on the requirements of the locality. If residents raise any complaints, we will intimate the department concerned.”
