Punjab Police have completed training its field force to use body-worn cameras, with the technology being rolled out initially in Lahore as docking stations for the devices are installed at police stations.
The cameras will be linked to Smart Safe City systems operating in 43 cities across Punjab and will be used by Punjab Police, the Highway Patrol, Dolphin Force and traffic wardens while on duty.
According to the project details, the cameras feature digital facial recognition to help identify suspects and can automatically read motorcycle and vehicle number plates.
They can also generate instant threat alerts in emergencies.
Officers will be able to record audio and video, take photographs and communicate through the cameras’ calling facility.
Recordings will be retained in the devices’ built-in memory during duty.
Once their shifts end, personnel will return the cameras to designated docking points, where recorded data will be automatically transferred and securely stored, according to the project details.
The system also includes a push-to-talk function, allowing field officers to contact control rooms directly, while an SOS button can be used to send emergency alerts.
The cameras will be connected to a central monitoring system, with live feeds monitored at district Safe City control rooms.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif said that the initiative will improve monitoring and help curb corruption.
“Ensuring a sense of security among the public, particularly vulnerable segments, is the real measure of success,” she said, adding that protecting the life and property of every individual in Punjab was the government’s foremost responsibility.
Maryam also described accountability as a key pillar of democracy and said a systematic campaign against corruption was under way in Punjab.
She said constitutional supremacy, an active civil society and effective institutions were essential to strengthening democratic traditions.
