Traffic department activates cameras to be worn by cops to enforce road discipline

Pics/Bipin Kokate

Pause for a moment if you are at fault but still decide to accuse a traffic cop of harassing you. For, the policeman might be wearing a camera that would have relayed the goings-on to the traffic headquarters. To bring in transparency and reduce confrontations between motorists and cops, the traffic department has procured 1,350 such devices for its staff on city roads.

Officials said the high-tech devices were activated last week, giving traffic cops an edge in enforcing road discipline and regulating vehicular movement. Each of the gadgets has a slot for a SIM card just like a mobile phone. Once the location is activated, they begin interacting with the traffic department's tracking grid through the global positioning system (GPS).

Quite similar to a video call, the camera, mostly worn on the chest for a clearer view, starts sending live HD feeds to the traffic HQ at Worli. Depending on the visuals, those manning the control room can initiate action.

"The body cameras are going to bring a lot of road discipline in a more transparent manner as we are going to have more eyes on the road and this will also help reduce the disputes between policemen and vehicle users on the street," said Rajvardhan Sinha, joint CP - traffic.

He added, "In many cases, we have seen heated arguments between policemen and motorists which sometimes led to physical assaults. And nobody knows what exactly happened but these cameras will help us get the true version of the incidents and guide us to act as per the video graphic evidence."

An official said the cops will be on their toes at all times since the camera will relay live feed.

Traffic HQ

. Visuals from each camera will be shared with traffic HQ. It will give the control room real-time updates on jams or any other situation, helping them take timely action

High-tech device

. The video quality is 10 ADP, akin to HD clarity
. The SIM card will enable the HQ to find the location of the cop wearing the camera through GPS
. Apart from relaying footage live to the HQ, the camera can record visuals for 8 hours; it has 128 GB memory
. The footage can also be transferred via WiFi and Bluetooth
. The cameras can also be used during law and order situations to gather evidence and alert local police stations