Cops use 'body lights' to increase visibility in beaches
Kolkata: Taking a unique initiative to help tourists easily identify policemen and civic volunteers even after sunset, the policemen on Digha and Mandarmani beaches have been provided with uniforms fitted with LED lights.
The LED lights of blue and red colour are fitted on the shoulder of the uniform and are visible even from a distance. The lights are commonly called "body lights" by the police.
It may be recalled that similar LED lights were first introduced by Kolkata Traffic Police and on-duty traffic constables and sergeants put the lights on after sunset while performing duty on road. It helps to identify them easily.
At present, Digha and Mandarmani are the most famous seaside destinations at East Midnapore. Lakhs of people visit Digha every year and on almost every day, thousands of people gather at the sea beach after sunset. Similarly, many people also prefer to visit Mandarmani for its serenity. The district police have taken several steps to ensure safety and security of the visitors at both the tourist spots.
There are around 65 policemen and civic volunteers who are provided with body lights. Fifty of them are posted at Digha while 15 are at Mandarmani.
The policemen and civic volunteers keep patrolling the sea beach to avoid any untoward incident. They keep watch to ensure that no tourist goes close to the sea after sunset, as it may lead to an accident. They also ensure that the tourists are not disturbed by anyone else.
Often tourists need to approach police to seek some sort of help. Since the LED lights are visible even from a distance, a tourist can directly reach an on-duty policeman or a civic volunteer, instead of searching here and there.
V Solomon Nesakumar, Superintendent of Police of East Midnapore district, said: "The basic idea is to help tourists as much as possible and the body lights will help them easily identify policemen in case they need any help. At the same time, manpower has also been increased to avoid any untoward incident at the beaches."
