In Islamabad, cops to don body cameras to ‘restore public faith’

Islamabad IGP says complaints about policemen’s attitude would also be resolved with the initiative

ISLAMABAD: Policemen in the federal capital will be provided with body cameras to record encounters with ordinary citizens, suspects, witnesses, and passersby so that the public faith is restored in the law enforcement agency. The video can be used as evidence at the courts whenever need be.

The recordings help keep all parties honest and allow them to gain some confidence in one another, knowing that anything anyone says about the interaction can later be verified, officials said on Sunday.

“These cameras will be connected with the Safe City Project,” Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar said. “This way, complaints about policemen especially serving at police pickets will be automatically resolved,” he added.

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Twenty such cameras will be purchased in the testing phase, which will later be provided to cops serving at various police stations in the capital city.

Video recordings of police’s interaction with the members of the public would force officials to act politely and responsibly since they are often blamed for taking bribes and being harsh with the common man.

Being small and portable, body cameras are expected to be highly useful for the police.