Technology has always played a critical role in all the facets of our life. Advancements in technology has enabled ease of workload and is also an effective communication channel. Over a period of time, with developments in technology, global communication is now just a click away.
Meetings can now be held via video-conferencing, linking various offices across the globe, making such gatherings simpler and cost effective.
The newly-set up Palghar District Police Department has also been trying to keep pace with this technological rush and utilizing them in crime detection and as a means of communication with several departments.
After Gadchiroli and Mumbai, Palghar has become the third force in the State to link police stations through video-conferencing(VC). This initiative is expected to save time spent in travelling to the Superintendent of Police’s(SP) office for monthly reviews and other official visits. Palghar SP – Manjunath Singe, the force behind this project, launched this initiative for the betterment of policemen who had to travel long distances just to submit their daily detective and development report. It also ensures that issues faced by police personnel can be voiced to the top brass directly without any delay. “This initiative will save commuting time from one police station to another. The VC technology has been adopted by the Mumbai Police as well and has received a positive response,” said a police officer attached to Palghar Police.
SP Singe said, “Recently, we had a training session on intelligence gathering, and we received valuable inputs from our retired officers. All personnel were at their postings, live-streaming the session through Video Conferencing (VC) while trainers at the SP’s Office addressed them. There was a round of questions and answers. The session went on very smoothly.”
The VC system connects the Palghar Commissionerate through a dedicated, secure line, and was set up over several months of work at the cost of Rs. One crore. State Government schemes and funds from the State Director General of Police were used for the project. Technical assistance was provided free of cost by local software engineers.
A dedicated line has also linked all CCTV cameras in police stations to the SP’s Office, allowing senior police officers access to it. SP Singe, who holds a degree in Computer Engineering, had implemented this initiative in Gadchiroli district while being posted there as SP. He took over as Palghar SP in 2016.
In 2017, the Mumbai Police had started a similar facility underCP – D.D. Padsalgikar, now DGP(Maharashtra). Some other hightech measures were also introduced, including digitising the daily police notice, a dedicated messaging app for internal communication, and bio-profiles of all personnel on a single server. Policing in Mumbai City and other districts has been modernised over a period of time and has helped many people in getting in touch with the cops in a short span of time.
Citizen Talk
“We heard about the Palghar Police initiative of connecting with fellow policemen on video call. It sounds great and its effect will be fantastic. The police officers can now directly get in touch with their officials at the click of a button. Police are adopting new technology for the betterment of citizens and for boosting their confidence. Their efforts in reaching out to people are highly appreciated,” said Suyash Shukla, a resident of Palghar.
“With the new SP taking charge, many initiatives have been implemented by the police for their local citizens. The police website provides details about contact procedures and how one can file a case online. The locals can also lodge their complaints through social media like Twitter etc,” said Sandeep Gupta, Graphic designer.
“Policing all over Maharashtra is improving in every aspect. Mumbai City Police is getting phenomenal response on Twitter and other social media platforms. These initiatives will definitely help the policemen in bridging the communication gap between them and the citizens,” said journalist Prakash Sharma.
by Mohit Naik
