Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh issues body cameras to Traffic cops

On Sunday, January 17 Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh distributed body cameras to traffic police at a function in Nagpur and said such devices would help enforce discipline on the roads as footage from it can be used as evidence against violators.

Altercations between law enforcers and those caught for traffic violations would also reduce due to such cameras, he added. This decision has been taken by the Commissioner of Police Chiranjeev Prasad.

The camera weighs only 85 grams and it can be fitted on police uniform. It can take GPS location and also are dust and water-resistant. Night vision, HD Video, audio, eight hours of continuous recording capacity with 128 GB of storage are some of the features of the cameras. Police personnel using the cameras can be contacted directly from the Police Control Room and videos can also be viewed there.

He said there were 163 traffic signals in the city and 6,688 CCTV cameras to help enforce the law, and police would soon be receiving drones in a few days as well.

Deshmukh also said INR 16 crores in fines were pending from traffic violators and a private agency would be contacted soon to recover this amount.

Describing the importance of the cameras, Deshmukh said that quarrels used to occur between motorists and traffic policemen. As the cameras record live videos, the footage will be used as evidence.

The Home Minister also suggested that the cameras should be used to control anti-social elements who molest women on streets.

“The cameras would be useful in maintaining coordination between the police and the citizens. Since there is a camera on the police uniform, no one will dare to argue for no reason,” the Home Minister said.

Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar said that the cameras would help in evidence-based policing.

The cameras will be mounted on the shoulders and chests of the police. The work of the police will also be monitored through this camera. Besides, the camera will also be used as evidence during agitations, riots, accidents and raids, said Deshmukh.