Delhi Police has decided to embrace technology in a big way. As per a recent notification, all Delhi Police vehicles would now be equipped with a device which can capture traffic violations and crime on the go; besides proving to be an able recording device during car chases.
In case the concerned police officer behind the wheels witness a traffic violation or a involvement of criminal activity, he can use the hi-tech interface to find out the details of the violator’s vehicle, and instantly send back the details to the control room. The device is attached with GPS and directly connected with the main server of the Delhi police.
Special Commissioner, Delhi Police (Traffic) Muktesh Chander is already using this device in his official car, and as per him, around 500 challans have been issued till now using this technology: “My official car is equipped with this unique technology. This is not new but a better way to get evidence of the offence. The software is connected with the GPS so that it also provides details such as location, date, time, and speed of the car. The camera has also got audio-recording facility so that it helps in recalling details,”
As per details coming in, each of this device costs upto Rs 15,000 to install, and directives have been issued to all police vehicles, especially those which respond in emergency calls, to install and deploy the device.
Instances where this device can prove beneficial includes:
- Ambulance is not given right of passage in a traffic jam. The vehicles violating rules can be instantly identified and dealt it.
- A car chase involving a fugitive: The device can capture real time location of the car, which can be spread to all nearby police vehicles
- Recently a DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) bus was found to be emitting tons of pollution. The device instantly captured the registration number and action was taken.
As per Delhi Police statistics, around 90 lakh vehicles are currently on the road in Delhi and in the last Union budget, Rs 5300 crore was allocated to solve traffic problems in the national capital. This new device and technology can be covered under this allocated budget.
Body Cameras Next?
The next possible extension of using cameras can be body cameras which can be implanted on the police officials to record every action happening around them. Last year, in a fatal shooting incident, a police man mistakenly killed an American assuming that he was armed. What exactly happened during the incident is still a mystery and to avoid such instances, defense forces in USA has already started implementing body cameras.
In India, where corruption among police officials is rampant, such body cameras can prove to be a huge step to stop such policemen from acting unprofessionally.
