Hyderabad traffic cops to soon don ‘body-worn cameras’

In this smart policing initiative, hi-res audio-visuals can be recorded to curb violations; sub-inspectors to wear them by March-end

In this file photo, Hyderabad Traffic Police devises a sly way — stationing a cut-out of a policeman at median — to keep potential traffic norm violators on their toes. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

Moving in sync with technological advancement, Hyderabad Traffic Police (HTP) will soon procure 100 ‘Body-Worn Cameras’ to be used during enforcement work under its ‘Smart Policing’ initiative.

“As of now, traffic cops are using four wearable video cameras on an experimental basis. Orders have been placed for 100 more sophisticated GPRS-enabled body-wear cameras. Sub-inspectors [in traffic police] will be using them by March-end,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Jitender, told reporters here on Tuesday.

Explaining more about the system, he said high-resolution audio-visuals would be recorded in the camera and stored in a memory card. Feeds could be seen live from a police control room through 4G technology.

“This would facilitate socially desirable behaviour. Use of wearable video cameras can bring measurable benefits to relation between the police and civilians,” he said.

Each body camera costs Rs 1.5 lakh and is effective during night as well.

Meanwhile, payment for a record number of 10,000 pending challans for traffic violations was made on Monday as part of the ‘Cashless Enforcement in Traffic Management’ and fine to the tune of Rs. 19 lakh was collected, the senior officer said.

Under the ‘cashless enforcement’ initiative, police have discontinued the practice of collecting cash on the spot for traffic ‘challans [payment receipt]’. Instead, violators are asked to pay penalties online and through other modern modes.

The Telangana government has sanctioned Rs. 21 crore for the modernisation of HTP, said Mr. Jitender, adding that this amount would be utilised for setting up an ‘Automatic Integrated Traffic Management System’.

“The proposed system will focus on stop-line violation, red-signal jumping, wrong-side movement and detect over-speeding and issue e-challan to violators,” he said.

Modern signage boards and interceptor vehicles with 360-degree-vision cameras to detect violations are among the new initiatives planned, he added.

As part of citizen-friendly initiatives, only officers above sub-inspector rank are authorised to stop vehicles for checking documents during enforcement work, while lower-rank officers are only allowed to record traffic violation through electronic evidence, he said.