Bangalore police installs CCTVs in stations

Bangalore police have begun installing closed-circuit television sets (CCTVs) in police stations to monitor the acts of its uniformed personnel.

The installation of CCTVs comes in the wake of complaints of misconduct and corrupt practices, besides ugly spats among policemen in the City and across the State. The demands for bribe by policemen, exposed by sting operations carried out by local television channels, and quarrel between two officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police in Bangalore, had projected the police department in poor light.

To begin with, the cameras have been installed at Upparpet, Chikpet and City Market police stations in Bangalore. Soon, the CCTVs will be mounted across all police stations in the City and a control room established in the office of Bangalore City Police Commissioner’s office so that he too can monitor the activities.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Sharath Chandra told reporters that CCTVs had been installed in three police stations in the City to keep a watch on the goings on the stations. “These cameras will help track corrupt practices, behaviour with visitors and illegal detention and any unsavoury acts. If the CCTVs do not deter such incidents, at least the cameras will record evidence to proceed against guilty men and officers”, he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Administration) P Muniswamy said installation of the CCTVs is part of the modernization of the police department. “This would help improve the performance of the police and keep an eye on any maladministration”, he said.

But, the CCTVs move has evoked a sharp reaction from officers in the lower ranks. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a police inspector pointed out that the CCTVs have their own merits and demerits. “The police have to be tough to extract information from the suspect and sometimes have to be out of the legal framework to do their own duties keeping their goals in mind. Installing CCTVs will create a fear psychosis among the policemen and hamper investigations”, he said.

The police inspector also questioned the utility of the CCTVs in curbing corruption in police stations. “Corrupt officials and suspects can resort to different methods once they come to know about the presence of spycams in police stations. They will strike deals outside the police stations, far away from the electronic eye”, he added.