CHENNAI: Raising complaints about non-functional CCTV cameras and irregular police patrolling, the residents of Bharathi Road in Perambur flagged safety concerns in the locality.

The residents lamented the poor maintenance of CCTV cameras on the road, saying that cameras have fallen apart and dangled from the pole.

“These cameras were installed under the 3rd eye project of the Greater Chennai Police and are in a dilapidated condition for several years. We have subsequently filed complaints demanding solutions to the issue, but no action has been taken to date,” said Raghukumar C, a resident in the area.

The significant reduction in police patrolling over the years, along with the surge in the population and shortage of police personnel, raises concerns about the safety of the people living in the city, he said. He added that people’s safety must be prioritised.

“The officials concerned must inspect cameras installed across the city and do the needful to either replace them with the smart surveillance wifi camera pillars or restore the existing ones immediately under the Nirbhaya Scheme considering the safety of the residents,” Raghukumar said.

“The illegal activities and consumption of drugs have been reported from the area. Dysfunctional cameras are located in areas like JJ Scheme Road, Bharathi Road, and Vadivelu 2nd Cross Street. We also need a new camera near Venkatraman Street, which is adjacent to the bus terminus,” Raghukumar added. Efforts to reach out to the local ward representative proved futile.