Noida police get body cameras to aid them in making arrests

Officers of six police stations in the city tried out the recently procured body cameras during a two-hour checking drive on Monday night. Officials said the trial was a success.

“The body camera was used by personnel of six police stations. Senior officers wore the camera on their shirt while checking vehicles. The trial was a success as the body cameras recorded the entire drive,” Kiran Sivakumar, senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

He said the sound and video quality of the recordings was up to the mark for investigating cases. In the pilot project, police officers of stations in sectors 58, 24, 20 and 39, phases 1 and 2 are using these cameras.

“If this pilot project is successful, we will issue the body cameras to all personnel in the field. It will ensure that the personnel are not flouting the standard operation procedure while making an arrest. Also, footage from the body cameras can be used as video evidence against an accused and the same can be corroborated in court,” the SSP said.

Officers were able to download the video by connecting the camera to a computer using a USB cable.

Officials said the battery was designed to support high quality recording of audio and video.

“We will train personnel in using the cameras and teach them how to transfer files from the camera, if we decide to use them. We are hopeful that this will bring transparency in policing and also help us make the leap towards smart policing,” the SSP said.

The police said each body camera costs around Rs. 10,000.

Officials said those posted with the 83 PCR vans in the twin cities are likely to get body cameras in the first phase, once the trials are complete.