Srinagar, Jul 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Police department is contemplating to obtain ‘body cameras’ for its men to make the force more robust in policing apart from strengthening their security and increasing transparency.
The State police chief SP Vaid said at first the equipment would be provided to those personnel engaged in law and order and traffic duties. He was addressing reporters at a function organised in Srinagar to inaugurate a football tournament.
Explaining the purpose, Kashmir police chief S P Pani, according to ‘Indian Express’, said the cameras would be mounted on the uniforms as a “visible interface between citizens and law enforcement”.
Terming the body cameras as major step forward, Pani said: “This is a civic measure aimed at increasing accountability within the force. We are training our boys for using this.”
According to a report, the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been using body cameras in the state for over a year. They consider it as an “effective measure”.
“What this does is that it keeps recording and transmitting to the ops room. So, during operations, it helps guide the forces on the ground and also helps in analysis, after the operation or the law and order situation is over,” the report quoted IG CRPF, Zulfiquar Hassan as having said. (with inputs from news agencies)
