Chennai: Body-worn cameras for law enforcement officers and drones for police and fire service personnel would be procured as part of measures to improve effective policing and rescue initiatives in Tamil Nadu further, chief minister K Palaniswami said on Friday (July 19).

He said 20 law and order units in cities and districts would get ten body-worn cameras each for Rs one crore.

Also, the police commissioners and ranges would be provided 16 drones at the cost of Rs 38 lakh, Palaniswami, who also holds portfolios of police and fire departments, said while making new announcements for the police and fire departments in the Assembly. 

Tamil Nadu police had last year introduced body-worn cameras for its traffic personnel.

For an aerial survey of fire accidents and rescue services, 50 drones would be procured for Rs 1 crore.

One aerial ladder platform (54 meters) would be bought for the Fire and Rescue Services Department for Rs 12 crore, the chief minister said.

Protective gear would be provided to 1,500 fire personnel for Rs 8.54 crore, he added.

Archiving digitised records of police headquarters at a cost of Rs 5.10 crore, automation of police fleet and asset management at a cost of Rs 25 lakh, implementation of e-beat system in all police commissioners (now followed in Salem) for Rs 1.26 crore and forming a cybercrime wing at Tirupur at a cost of Rs 91.74 lakh were among announcements he made.