CHENNAI: Traffic police personnel in the city will from Monday be ‘armed’ with body-worn cameras for better enforcement. The more than 200 cameras for the city police, to be distributed at a formal function by chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, are expected to make police actions transparent, with photographic evidence helping reduce friction with members of the public. The chief minister will in a few weeks hand over pink patrol vehicles to all-women police under the new wing to tackle crimes against women and children.
The tiny microphone-fitted cameras, which are to be worn on an officer’s chest or head, will record all minute details that can be reviewed later. The evidence ‘shot’ will also help prove police honesty or disprove allegations of misconduct and can also be effective tools during police training exercises, say officers.
There is a downside too, with a few officers saying body-worn cameras will affect the physical and mental health of police personnel. Overburdening them with equipment and placing them under the stress of constant surveillance can be counter productive, they say. Such equipment also increases the risk of sensitive or vulnerable victims and witnesses of crimes getting exposed, they add.
About 20% of the 1,000 cameras purchased for the state police by the government will be allocated to the Chennai city traffic police who comprise 219 inspectors and sub-inspectors. The government had made an announcement in the state assembly in this regard during the demand for grants of the home department last month. Palaniswami, who holds the home portfolio in the cabinet, had said that Rs 1 crore was being sanctioned to buy the cameras.
Separately, the city police are set to introduce patrol vehicles exclusively to tackle crimes against women and children. Pictures of a pink Toyota Innova with an ‘Amma Patrol’ sticker and numbers of helplines for child and women welfare are already doing the rounds on social media . While higher officials were not available for comment on the initiative, sources said it was a joint initiative of the state and central governments.
“The patrol vehicles will be given to all all-women police stations in the city on a pilot basis and will be expanded to other districts,” said an officer. An inspector of an all-women police station, when contacted, said the vehicles would be stationed around schools and colleges. The Kerala government had launched a scheme last year, introducing ‘Pink Beat’ patrol vehicles.
The tiny microphone-fitted cameras, which are to be worn on an officer’s chest or head, will record all minute details that can be reviewed later. The evidence ‘shot’ will also help prove police honesty or disprove allegations of misconduct and can also be effective tools during police training exercises, say officers.
There is a downside too, with a few officers saying body-worn cameras will affect the physical and mental health of police personnel. Overburdening them with equipment and placing them under the stress of constant surveillance can be counter productive, they say. Such equipment also increases the risk of sensitive or vulnerable victims and witnesses of crimes getting exposed, they add.
About 20% of the 1,000 cameras purchased for the state police by the government will be allocated to the Chennai city traffic police who comprise 219 inspectors and sub-inspectors. The government had made an announcement in the state assembly in this regard during the demand for grants of the home department last month. Palaniswami, who holds the home portfolio in the cabinet, had said that Rs 1 crore was being sanctioned to buy the cameras.
Separately, the city police are set to introduce patrol vehicles exclusively to tackle crimes against women and children. Pictures of a pink Toyota Innova with an ‘Amma Patrol’ sticker and numbers of helplines for child and women welfare are already doing the rounds on social media . While higher officials were not available for comment on the initiative, sources said it was a joint initiative of the state and central governments.
“The patrol vehicles will be given to all all-women police stations in the city on a pilot basis and will be expanded to other districts,” said an officer. An inspector of an all-women police station, when contacted, said the vehicles would be stationed around schools and colleges. The Kerala government had launched a scheme last year, introducing ‘Pink Beat’ patrol vehicles.
Quick Links
Lok Sabha Election Schedule 2019Lok Sabha Election NewsDelhi Capitals teamMI team 2019Rajasthan Royals 2019RCB team 2019Maharashtra Lok Sabha ConstituenciesBJP Candidate ListBJP List 2019 TamilnaduShiv Sena List 2019AP BJP List 2019Mamata BanerjeeBJP List 2019 MaharashtraPriyanka GandhiBJP List 2019 KarnatakaAMMK Candidate List 2019BJP List 2019 WBLok Sabha Elections in Tamil NaduBSP List 2019 UPNews in TamilLok Sabha Poll 2019Satta Matka 2018PM ModiMahagathbandhanNagpur BJP Candidate ListChandrababu NaiduTamil Nadu ElectionsUrmila MatondkarNews in TeluguMadras High CourtTejashwi YadavArvind KejriwalTejasvi SuryaPawan KalyanArvind KejriwalYogi AdityanathJaya PradaSatta King 2019Srinagar encounter
Get the app