Cameras with facial recognition, number-plate reading and an SOS button will be linked to Safe City control rooms in 43 cities, with Lahore as the first launch site.
LAHORE:Police officers on patrol in Punjab will soon record their duty with body-worn cameras, after the provincial government introduced the technology for the field force for the first time. The rollout begins in Lahore.
According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, training for field personnel across the province has been completed on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. Installation of docking points for the cameras has also started at police stations.
The government has presented the project as part of the chief minister’s “Safe Punjab” vision, which it says calls for effective and transparent policing.
The cameras will be worn by personnel of Punjab Police, Punjab Highway Patrol, the Dolphin Force and Traffic Wardens while on duty. These are the officers who deal with the public most directly, on highways, at checkpoints, in street patrols and at traffic junctions.
All devices will be connected to the Smart Safe City systems already operating in 43 cities across the province, according to the statement.
The devices go well beyond simple recording. The statement said their digital facial recognition feature will help identify suspects, while automated reading of motorcycle and vehicle number plates will also be possible.
An officer facing an emergency will be able to generate an instant threat alert. A built-in calling facility allows immediate communication, and a “Push-to-Talk” function will let field officers contact the control room directly. A separate SOS button will alert the control room in emergency situations.
Officers will also be able to record audio and video and take photographs through the cameras.
During duty, recordings will be saved in the cameras’ built-in memory. At the end of a shift, officers will place their cameras at designated docking points, from where the recorded data will be transferred automatically and stored securely, the statement said.
The cameras will also be linked to a central monitoring system. Live monitoring will be carried out from the Safe City control rooms in each district.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said the cameras would not only make monitoring easier but also help curb corruption within the force.
“Ensuring a sense of security among the public, particularly vulnerable segments, is the real measure of success,” she said.
She added that protecting the life and property of every individual in Punjab was the government’s foremost responsibility.
The corruption angle is significant. The chief minister last month ordered a crackdown on corrupt police officials, and complaints about bribery at pickets and during routine stops have long shaped public perceptions of policing.
Around the world, police forces have adopted body cameras to create an objective record of encounters between officers and the public. Such footage can support evidence in criminal cases, settle disputed complaints and discourage misconduct on both sides of an interaction.
In Lahore, the cameras will add a mobile layer to a Safe City network that already produces results. Camera alerts recently helped police recover eight wanted vehicles in the city, and the city’s violent crime figures for 2026 show why officials want more tools on the ground.
The statement did not say how many cameras are being deployed, how long recordings will be kept, who may access the footage, or whether citizens will be able to request recordings of their own encounters with police. These questions have shaped body-camera policies in other countries. Their answers will largely decide whether the project builds public trust in the way the government intends.
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