Bengaluru police have decided to send decoys in a bid to counter allegations of corruption while booking Drunk and Driving (DD) cases. Besides that, Police Commissioner B . Dayanand has made it mandatory for all patrolling personnel to wear body camera.
Earlier, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors were told to conduct special drives and book DD cases with the aim of reducing accidents and ensuring safety on roads. Sources said this led to rampant corruption. Police personnel allegedly used to pocket money from offenders after threatening to book cases, which could result in a fine of ₹10,000 and also seizure of the vehicle. The offender had to go to court to pay the fine, and get back the vehicle.
To curb corruption, the Traffic Department changed strategy. They empowered only inspectors to book DD cases. In addition, inspectors had to inform seniors about the date and place of the special drive, which could be conducted twice a week. During such drives, police personnel are expected to wear body camera, and behave professionally with motorists to avoid unnecessary confrontations, explained an officer.
On July 20, Joint Commissioner M.N. Anucheth put a post on his social media account, thanking motorists in Bengaluru for driving responsibly. As per the statistics, the traffic police conducted DD drives across Bengaluru on July 19. They checked 4,669 drivers, of which only 172 were drunk while driving.
On the surface, the results appear impressive. But after closer scrutiny, senior officials realised that appearances can be deceptive. As complaints of corruption continue to pour in, the traffic police are now planning to send decoys to track down corrupt staff.
“Traffic inspectors have been directed to book DD cases to ensure transparency and accountability. The officials conducting the drive must get approval from higher-ups once they decide the place and date of the drive,” Mr. Anucheth said. This will also enable higher-ups to keep a track of the drives carried out across the 48 police stations.
Published - July 27, 2023 05:17 pm IST
