In a new development under the state’s home-grown Mission Shakti program, the Lucknow police department has decided to install facial recognition cameras in the city, to help women in distress. These cameras will be backed by artificial intelligence to read the expression of women in distress and alert the nearest police station. In the initial phase, about 5 such security cameras will be deployed for the purpose. This move has been made to help reduce cases of harassment of women who are subjected to stalking and threat in the city.
Face-reading cameras for women safety in Lucknow
Mission Shakti programme was launched in UP in October with the aim of elevating the status of women in the state, empower them through special schemes and initiatives custom-carved for them. Helmed under this state campaign, this new project is expected to help reduce cases of women harassment in the city.
According to Lucknow Police Commissioner, the police department has identified 200 hotspots where the movement of women was maximum in the city and from where most of the complaints were received. With 5 cameras flagging off the initiative, the state will gauge the effectivity and impact of this plan.
A bane or a boon?
The facial recognition technology is touted to alert the nearest police station of women in distress even before they dial the police helpline. It will activate the cameras upon detecting facial expressions of women and trigger the system to notify the police. Though the move has been projected as a great solution to provide safety to women, several experts are concerned with the implementation of this programme stating that it can easily overstep from surveillance to scrutiny, breaching the privacy of women citizens.
