Cops get 50 body-worn cameras in Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam: To tighten the noose around those traffic violators (drunken motorists also) who usually have squabbles with city traffic police after being caught violating traffic norms, traffic police to be equipped with body-worn cameras at major junctions in the city.
This will be first time in Vizag city when traffic police will be recording the activities of traffic violators while issuing challans.
As a first step of the proposed plan, traffic police wing has decided to depute over 30 traffic police cops equipped with body-worn cameras at 10 to 15 major traffic junctions in the city, where more number of traffic violations have been taking place.
ADCP (Traffic) K.M. Patrudu said that traffic violations have been increasing in Vizag city for past few years and sometimes the traffic violators argue with the cops while our men impose fine for the violations. “There was no end to jumping red signals and others violations in spite of the presence of traffic police at every major junction in the city. We have issued over 4.2 lakh challans for various traffic violations in 2016 and collected '10 crore in the form of fine amount,” he added. Sour-ces said that city police have procured a total of 50 body-worn cameras.
Traffic police have got 30 cameras while cops of Law and Order wing received 20 cameras. City police commissioner T. Yoganand said that the ca-mera is attached to policeman’s uniform and would record the person’s interaction with the motorists and traffic violators. Once a video was captured, the recording would help the-m to judge any complaint filed against the traffic cops. The cameras would also be connected with GPS and the features in the cameras would not permit any editing of the recorded clippings that would be saved automatically, he added. “Soon the police would use the cameras at all major junctions and if any violator caught on camera, the offender has no scope to enter into an argument with the cops. We are also chalking out plans to use the cameras during drive against drunken driving,” said a senior police officer.