The Federal Road Safety Corps has announced plans to deploy 1,000 personnel trained to handle body cameras nationwide as a way of checking misconduct, graft, and recording arrests across the nation within the next 12 months.
Bisi Kazeem, the Corps’ spokesperson, confirmed this on Friday.
Since the plan was unveiled last year by the immediate past Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, 200 trained personnel with body cameras controlled from a command centre have been deployed, according to Kazeem.
He also stated that 1,000 operatives are currently being trained on how to use body cameras, and that they will be deployed across the country once the training is completed.
He said, “200 body cameras were deployed earlier, and their accessories have been rolled out, with one control centre.
“Operatives are still going through training; when they are done, 1,000 body cameras will be rolled out without delay within the next 12 months.”
In October 2021, while unveiling the technology in Abuja, Oyeyemi declared that the operation monitoring and control platform would contribute significantly to improving the agency’s operations.
He said, “This platform will embrace the ethical imperatives of eliminating misconducts both on the part of the operatives and motorists.
“It will considerably reduce the incentive to infringe on traffic laws and regulations due to perceived weak enforcement and the likelihood of escaping arrest.
“It will assist to improve on road safety management generally with better personnel disposition, among others.”
The former FRSC boss added that the agency recorded the highest cases of assaults on its personnel in 2019, but has not recorded such since the test-running of the platform began in parts of the country.
He also said the implementation of the platform would be in phases, adding that the agency had a target of three years for all its patrol teams nationwide to start wearing body cameras.
“This is phase one which is in FCT, Abuja. Cameras will be deployed to Lagos and Asaba for end-of-the-year patrol operations as well. This will also help to control the behaviour of officers and conduct of the public,” he said.