Nagpur: Nine months after the ambitious launch of Nagpur Police’s artificial intelligence-powered surveillance system ‘SIMBA’ (Smart Integrated Monitoring and Big Data Analysis), the technology touted as ‘CrimeGPT’ has failed to meet expectations. Despite its advanced features like facial recognition, real-time crime prediction, social media monitoring, and evidence analysis, the system has reportedly helped solve only four to five criminal cases so far — sparking serious concerns over its effectiveness.

Commissioned in July 2024, SIMBA was introduced to digitally track and monitor repeat offenders across the city. Currently, over 2,000 known criminals have been registered in the system, and dedicated police personnel operate the control room in two shifts to monitor activity. However, the system has not significantly aided in curbing major crimes such as murder, attempted murder, vehicle theft, chain snatching, and burglaries — many of which have been committed by repeat offenders already registered in SIMBA.

The core concern being raised by both citizens and law enforcement officials is simple: if criminal photographs and data are fed into SIMBA, why is the system failing to generate real-time alerts? The inability to flag the presence of known criminals casts doubt on SIMBA’s role as a force multiplier in a growing urban city like Nagpur.

Externed Criminals Continue to Evade Detection:

A glaring example of SIMBA’s limitations was seen recently when externed criminal Sagar Masram returned to the city, violating his banishment, and was later murdered in Vasantrao Naik slum. Despite being listed in the SIMBA database, the system failed to detect his reentry. Daily police briefings continue to report the apprehension of at least two externed criminals — caught not through SIMBA but through routine patrolling — highlighting the gaps in the surveillance framework.

40 Key Locations Have Facial Recognition Cameras:

As part of the SIMBA infrastructure, 40 facial recognition cameras have been deployed at strategic locations in Nagpur. These cameras were used during investigations related to the Mahal riots and also provided some support during large-scale events like Dhammachakra Pravartan Din and the Winter Assembly Session. Yet, their impact on day-to-day crime prevention remains limited.

Surveillance Hit by Non-Functional CCTV Cameras:

Addressing the system’s underperformance, Nagpur Police Commissioner Dr. Ravinder Kumar Singal stated, “A large number of CCTV cameras across the city are currently non-functional due to ongoing development work. This has severely impacted SIMBA’s operational efficiency. Plans are in motion to install advanced surveillance cameras to strengthen the system’s performance.”

Public Confidence Wavers as System’s Reliability Questioned:

With known criminals roaming freely and repeated crimes going undetected, public confidence in Nagpur Police’s AI-driven surveillance system is beginning to wane. While SIMBA was envisioned as a cutting-edge crime-fighting tool, its current limitations raise urgent questions about the technology’s scalability, reliability, and real-world impact.

As Nagpur continues to urbanize, effective digital policing tools like SIMBA will be crucial — but only if backed by functional infrastructure, timely upgrades, and consistent monitoring.