As part of the Mane Mane Beti outreach programme launched in July, the Udupi District Police introduced the Drishti Project to curb criminal activities. SP Hariram Shankar announced on Monday that night patrols have been deployed in select urban and market areas to prevent theft, crimes against women, and offences involving drug addicts, while safeguarding commercial establishments, isolated residents, and senior citizens.
Under this initiative, clusters of 50–100 houses have appointed security guards to patrol from 10 pm to 6 am. Ten such groups are already active, reporting suspicious incidents directly to beat police or the District Control Room. Residents bear the cost of the guards. The project currently covers 12 locations, including Udupi Town, Shirva, Gangolli, Kundapur, Hebri, Karkala, Hiriyadka, Shankaranarayana, and Brahmavar, with plans to expand to 21 more.
In collaboration with the Udupi District Chamber of Commerce, police have also launched Syena Drishti, aiming to install 601 CCTV cameras at 207 junctions and border roads at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. The first phase will include 10 Automatic Number Plate Reader cameras at district borders, sensitive areas, and strategic points across police station limits.
Additionally, 10 high-quality cameras will be placed at key city junctions in Udupi, Kundapur, and Karkala. Footage will be monitored round-the-clock by local police stations and the District Control Room. SP Shankar said this could be the first project of its scale in India.