With internet and social media becoming an important part of our lives especially for the younger generation, the city cops are trying their level to keep pace with it. The Navi Mumbai police have launched an Android and IOS application called ‘Citizen Cop’ to help people register complaints instantly about any crime that takes place in their knowledge. More than 5lakh users have downloaded the app so far. Around 50plus cases of eve teasing and molestation have been received so far through this application and are ready to tackle new ones.
With this application citizens have become more forthcoming and they have been coming forward to stand up against crime. The application has made it easier for people to approach police stations to register their case. The police stations are on their finger tips. The features include report and crime, call police, my safezone etc. One of 
the unique features of this application is that it allows the users to report about those smoking in public spaces or in a non smoking zone registered by city cops. Users can just download the app by filling in some details that will help the police to identify them. On clicking smoking /tobacco option in report an incident column they can easily lodge a complaint accompanied with pictures of smokers along with location details.
Though the application seems simple to operate it becomes an almost impossible task for the city cops to trace and book the offenders since he / she is likely to leave the place where he had been smoking.
Citizen feedback
‘The citizen cop application is very useful especially for girls. I have used this App twice for informing the cops about eve-teasing in our area. Cops were quick to report the incident’, said Akanksha Pandey, a Belapur resident.
“While it is good to have all emergency features at your fingertips, it is difficult to trace and impose a fine on smokers at public places. By the time a beat marshal arrives at the location, the offender would have moved on,” another citizen said.
Speaking to a daily newspaper additional commissioner of police (Wireless dept) P. P. Kannalu said, “The application has an option that allows a user to report any incident around him, including smoking. For this, a user has to click a picture of the smoker and send it along with location details. Upon receiving the information, a beat marshal will call the complainant, reach the spot and impose a fine on the offender under the sections of the Bombay Police Act. At times, it would become impossible to book an offender, as he may move on. However, we will at least know the areas were such incidents occur”, he added.
‘Until now sixteen hundred users have downloaded the application in Navi Mumbai where we have received almost 50 complaints through it. We have successfully solved all the cases we received so far’, said Sachin Eknath Kad, police constable who is one of the authorized persons to look after the app. We have received complaints related to traffic jam, eve-teasing, molestation etc. A team of policemen are always ready to react to such complaints within a short span of time, Sachin added.
Cops getting tech savvy
Thane (rural and city) police has also come up with an application for the convenience of it’s citizens. “It is an honor to see that citizens are downloading such application and helping the state cops to uproot crime,” said a senior police officer.While Navi Mumbai Citizen Cops app completes its 5, 00,000 downloads, FIR Application of Thane Rural police has crossed the mark of 7,00,000 downloads.
Applications launched 2014-16
Navi Mumbai Police–Citizencop App
Thane City police–Hope App
Thane Rural police-FIR (First Immediate Reponse)
Mumbai GRP police–Pratishaad, Police Mitra, Railway Helpline
Palghar police-Palghar police app
Mohit Naik
