Pune: The Maharashtra state police motor transport department has introduced a new fleet of compact surveillance vans to strengthen crowd management and emergency response capabilities.A total of 360 vans have been handed over to different police units across the state over the last two months. The specially designed vehicles are built to operate efficiently in congested and crowded areas. They feature high ground clearance and a short turning radius, enabling them to navigate narrow roads and difficult terrain with ease.“The van has a superstructure and its roof can be used as a watchtower. Police personnel can place four chairs on the roof to sit and monitor the crowd. The van is equipped with four CCTV cameras, one on each side, providing a 360-degree view. Moreover, if a SIM card is inserted into its DVR unit, the head of the police unit and other senior officers can watch the live feed on their mobile phones,” said inspector general of police Ashok Morale of the state police motor transport department.He said the project is additional director general of police Deepak Pandey’s idea, following which the hunt for companies to manufacture the vans began.“Each police unit in the state has received six to 10 vans. We have already trained six police personnel and two officers from each police unit to operate the vans,” he said.“It has been equipped with stretchers and can be used during medical emergencies, such as accidents, or to shift injured people,” Morale said, adding that it can be used to detain or arrest people.“The vehicles are fitted with floodlights and can be used during night operations and natural calamities — such as floods, landslides and other disasters. The floodlights can either be powered through an external source or by the vehicle’s own power supply,” he said. The vans have a writing desk, storage space for shields, lathis, communication equipment and other essential accessories.
