Patrol vehicles of Coimbatore City Police to livestream visuals through dashboard, rear cameras

The patrol system of the Coimbatore City Police went a notch up on Monday with the introduction of dashcams (dashboard camera) and rear-view cameras equipped with SIM cards, which can transmit rear-time visuals to the police control room. The live videos can also be accessed by senior police officers.

City Police Commissioner A. Saravana Sundar launched the new facility in the presence of Deputy Commissioners of Police G. Karthikeyan (Coimbatore South) and N. Devanathan (North).

He said all the 40 four-wheel patrol vehicles in the city, including seven Pink Patrol vehicles introduced in November, are equipped with these gadgets procured using corporate social responsibility fund from Coimbatore-based Rasi Seeds Private Limited. The cost for the devices per vehicle was ₹20,000.

The cameras fixed on the front and rear windscreens of the patrol vehicles will capture visuals and audios round the clock. The patrol system has a capacity to store the videos for a period of one week. All the patrol vehicles are also GPS-equipped.

Besides capturing visuals of the patrolled areas, the presence of the cameras will also ensure accountability of the police personnel deputed for patrols. The patrol system will also become transparent, the officers said.

The city police had introduced cameras for some of the beat patrols (two-wheeler) in August this year. There are 59 beat patrols.