Body cams for traffic cops to ensure transparency

BHUBANESWAR: Next time you are stopped on the city roads for violation of traffic rules, think twice before arguing with the personnel on duty. The traffic police will now on wear body cameras while performing their duties and all the moves will be recorded.Police, on Saturday, launched 240 body cameras for traffic personnel in the Twin City. About 15 dashboard cameras for police vehicles were also launched. The introduction of the cameras comes in the wake of certain unpleasant incidents between the traffic personnel and commuters of the Twin City.

Informing about the new system, Twin City Police Commissioner YB Khurania told mediapersons that “Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for using body cameras has been prepared and traffic personnel were provided training on how to use the devices, including storing data and downloading it. We expect that within 10 to 15 days the traffic personnel will get acquainted on the use of cameras.”
“We will also handover two body cameras to each police station in the Twin City which the cops can use in case a law and order problem arises in their respective areas,” Khurania said during the launch of the devices.

The traffic personnel imposing fines for various violations in the Twin City have been informed that it is mandatory for them to wear body cameras while performing their duties, he added.
The police have been directed to download the stored data at traffic police headquarters and at the police stations of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.A software provided by the manufacturer of the cameras has been installed in the systems of Commissionerate Police which will have the names of traffic personnel to whom each device has been allotted. The data recorded in each camera will be stored for about seven days before being deleted from the systems.

Additional CP, PS Ranpise apprised that the body cameras have in-built batteries which can last for at least 3.5 hours along with in-built microphones. The body cameras, purchased at a cost of `35 lakh, are waterproof and have an external memory slot where cards up to 32 GB storage space can be inserted. The cameras having 160 degree viewing angles and HD recording features can also come handy at places where there is low light as they are equipped with Infrared LEDs.The dashboard cameras will be installed in the police vehicles for enforcement activities on the highway, said sources.