Peshawar traffic wardens equipped with body-mounted cameras

PESHAWAR: The newly-established Traffic Warden Police, Peshawar, have been equipped with the body-mounted cameras to record all the activity on road.
These cameras are equipped with both voice and video recording. The traffic staff has been directed to switch on the camera each time they proceed to stop a vehicle for imposing fine.
All the proceedings from stopping a vehicle till issuing a fine ticket to the driver would be recorded in real time in the camera memory.
With the new cameras, the question of imposing illegal fine and misbehavior on the part of on-duty traffic police staff have come under intense scrutiny.
“It will provide substantial evidence of the sequence and happenings of the incident, which would in turn help the supervisory officers as well as the courts to unearth the truth, establish true facts and make decisions on merit,” said Superintendent of Police Mohammad Afzal.
These cameras would have a deterrence effect on the public as well as the traffic staff by holding both of them accountable, he said, adding, the cameras would help in neutralising the defiant attitudes of the public and criminal orientations of suspects.
“The cumulative effect of these body-worn cameras would lead to a drastic drop in complaints of misbehaviour, seeking gratification and imposing illegal fine,” Afzal said.
He added that the KP Police were the first in Pakistan to take this initiative. Officials said the project would be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, the traffic police of Peshawar have been provided the body-worn cameras.
In the second and third phases, the traffic police of remaining districts and the local police, respectively, would be equipped with the modern cameras.