THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state police are in the process of modernising and improving their methods of interaction with the public by adopting various technical facilities. Mobile applications, SMS alert numbers, toll-free call services and WhatsApp alerts introduced by the police are all part of this new initiative.
A new SMS alert service, Int Alert, is being implemented by the police to collect information on matters of internal security of the country. According to top police officials, through this service, the public can share information regarding crimes which would become a threat to our country like terrorism and Maoism and other crime-related information, with the police. The information can be passed on to the officials through the given number: 949799990
ADGP (Intelligence) A Hemachandran said that the details of persons who pass on the information will be kept as secret. “The SMSs received through ‘Int Alert’ will be monitored by senior police officials of the Intelligence wing,” he said.
According to DIG Intelligence P Vijayan, this project is undergoing trial for the past 15 days. “We have been monitoring this system for the past 15 days. Now this has entered operational level. The public can alert us on incidents of smuggling, various mafia activities and terrorism, if they get any clue on these. Special teams are assigned to probe on the basis of the information we get. They will be assigned after sorting out the messages received through Int Alert,” the DIG said.
It was on last Tuesday that the city police here launched a mobile application named Thiruvananthapuram City Police (TCP) to make the public aware of various traffic rules and penalties and help them report any violations of law they come across. This will also help the citizens to contact emergency services such as police control room, ambulances, nearest hospitals and Fire and Rescue Service stations. The key features of the app are: traffic offences and respective fines to be paid, provision to report an offense with image, emergency numbers, map of police stations in Thiruvananthapuram, road safety measures, speed limit in city.
Earlier, the City Traffic Police had also come forward with a WhatsApp service to help the public register complaints against autorickshaw drivers. Along with that the police also created an email id - tvmcityautoptn.pol@kerala.gov.in, to file petitions.
The other schemes launched by the police are ‘Hi-tech Enquiry Cell’ to deal with cyber cases, Highway alert to help check crimes on highway stretches in the state and e-services like ‘iAPS petition status’, ‘iAPS file status’, Citizen Help Desk, SPARK (Service and Payroll Administrative and Repository for Kerala), CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System).