Specific Information Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police stations within the state will now be introduced beneath CCTV surveillance, with the state police division initiating measures to curb human rights violation and custodial torture as per the rules issued by the Supreme Courtroom. Appearing on the apex court docket’s 2020 order, the division had already taken measures to put in CCTV cameras within the stations in a phased method. Giving the transfer additional impetus, State Police Chief Anil Kant on Thursday issued an order directing particular person station home officers (SHO) and the telecommunication wing to to evaluate the working situation of the cameras.
They’ve additionally been directed to make sure knowledge backup and troubleshoot glitches within the digicam and networking programs.
The spotlight of the order, nonetheless, is the directive to convey all components of a police station beneath CCTV protection. As per the order, cameras ought to be put in in any respect entry and exit factors, fundamental gate, lockups, corridors, officers’ rooms, and so on., in each station. In brief, barring washrooms, all different components of the police station will now be beneath surveillance.
The CCTV system will likely be outfitted with evening imaginative and prescient and audio recording services, which can assist senior officers or the Human Rights Fee verify if there was any violation of the rights of these taken into custody. In case of areas the place there’s a paucity of electrical energy, various technique of vitality ought to be organized.
The CCTV footage ought to be saved for at least 18 months. If the recording tools accessible available in the market doesn’t have that capability, units that enable storage of footage spanning as much as a 12 months ought to be procured.
A senior officer, on situation of anonymity, mentioned the order was issued to deal with the problem of human rights violations being reported from police stations. “The remedy residents get from native stations is the true indicator of the standard of policing. By introducing a slew of measures, we wish to make sure that native stations adhere to fashionable police practices,” the officer added.
