New police vehicle to detect traffic offenders

Sarath MALALASEKERA

The Police Department yesterday launched a vehicle with all sophisticated equipment including Police Mobile Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) to detect traffic offenders and criminals.

IGP N.K. Illangakoon launching the new CCTV Unit at Police Headquarters yesterday. Picture by Sulochana Gamage

IGP N K Ilangakoon said at the launching ceremony at the Police Headquarters that this new mobile unit - Street Watch - will assist the police detect traffic offenders and criminals in the country without any difficulty.

The IGP said that on the direction of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa that these Closed Circuit TV cameras had been placed in the city of Colombo to detect criminals and traffic offenders. The project cost Rs 227 million with funds granted from the President's Fund.

“Through these close circuit cameras police could detect the people entering Colombo city and leaving the city. These close cameras will operate throughout the day - 24 hours - to detect the traffic offenders”, the IGP said.

“Detections through these cameras could be used as evidence before any court of law”, the IGP added.

Senior DIG Gamini Navaratne is one of the main persons responsible for introducing this new project to the Police Department.

Western Province Traffic DIG Amarasiri Senaratne is in charge of the Close Circuit TV camera unit. ASP T P Gamlath is the Director of the unit while Chief Inspector A M P P D Senaviratne, the Officer In Charge and Chief Inspector Sarath de Silva the co-ordinator of this unit.

Chief Advisor to the CCTV unit is B S Samarasiri of the Moratuwa University. The Metropolitan Company is the main supplier of equipment for the new unit.

Senior DIG's Anura Senanayake, Gamini Dissanayake, CID DIG Jayantha Kulathilaka, Police Headquarters DIG Bernard de Silva, several DIGs, Senior SPs and SPs also participated in the ceremony.