Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh recently launched a mobile application of the State Police Department, called ‘Citizen Cop’, which will help them report crime instantly and without taking the pain of visiting police stations. Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Raipur Range GP Singh, in an interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN), says this will help increase people’s participation in curbing crime
What is the idea behind launching the ‘Citizen Cop’ app?
Citizen Cop is a user-friendly mobile-based public safety application that empowers every citizen to become a powerful cop. We have seen that many a time people remain hesitant approaching police stations to report petty crime cases, as they feel it is a lengthy process. But this application would help them report the crime, lost articles and seek emergency help at the click of a button. We have developed this application in response to the concerns and needs of the citizens, so as to enlist their cooperation and participation in creating a safe, secure and crime-free society. With an aim to bring police and citizens together against crime, we have developed this influential tool that empowers common man. It can be downloaded for free on Android phones and iPhones through Google Playstore and iPhone App Store, respectively.
Should we look upon the initiative as the beginning of the era of ‘smart policing’?
With the advent of technology, the police department is also going high-tech and hopefully, the Citizen Cop application will prove to be an effective tool for every citizen, to communicate with the police establishment. It will also help in establishing a relationship of trust with and gaining confidence of the citizens. The Citizen Cop app enables user to store four mobile numbers in it. If you are feeling unsafe or need assistance, it will alert all the four people in just one click. They will also get information about your geographical location instantly. So, people will now be more aware of security threats and will be able to save themselves from unnecessary hassles of visiting police stations.
What unique features does ‘Citizen Cop’ offer?
The mobile app offers 12 unique services, namely Report an Incident, Call Police, Call Administration, SoS Help, My Safe Zone, Fare Calculation, Towing Vehicles, Vehicle Search, News Update, Report Lost Articles, My Close Group and Emergency Call. Using My Safe Zone tool, one can flag a safe zone on Google map by geo-fencing its boundary. Vehicle Search option can help the user get details of any vehicle, like its owner, model information and more. Emergency Call option provides a list of all emergency numbers, while Help Me option has been created especially for women safety. Report Lost Article will allow the user to report any lost article/documents in the State/ City and Towing Vehicle Search provides information regarding location of towed away vehicles.