To enhance accountability and transparency in the patrolling system, the Bengaluru City Police have begun installing dashcams (dashboard cameras) in all Hoysala vehicles. This comes days after the city police upgraded the patrolling officer in charge of Hoysala vehicles from a head constable to an assistant sub-inspector, essentially ensuring a service revolver on the vehicle.
City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said the initiative is a step towards transparency and fixing accountability. “In the first phase, we will install dashcams in all 241 Hoysala vehicles, and in the next step, dashcams will be installed in vehicles of all Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) and Police Inspectors. This will be in addition to bodycams worn by these personnel. This will ensure transparency and accountability as the staff can have documentation of the action taken,” he said.
“Dashcams can prove extremely useful in understanding the actual sequence of events unfolding on the roads, especially during law enforcement or public engagement situations. The use of bodycams has also become integral to urban policing, ensuring the authenticity of incidents and placing responsibility on police officers as well as the public. They know they are under observation, which encourages responsible action,” Mr. Dayananda said.
These dashcams will enable real-time recording of events during patrols, providing valuable evidence for investigations and ensuring transparency in police interactions. This initiative enhances public safety and fosters greater transparency and accountability within the police department, a senior police official said.
Due to the upgraded technology and monitoring system at the command centre which is monitoring the movements of Hoysala round the clock, a response time of 7 minutes has been achieved now, a senior police officer at the command centre said.
