Web-based news sharing to be introduced in Police Dept

Till now, all news reports regarding the crime incidents published in various newspapers are collected, scanned and submitted before the senior police officers as both soft and hard copies. The copies would be sent to the junior officers if an explanation is required. A record of news articles published in the last 10 years is being maintained in offices concerned.

But this is set to change, as a dedicated software for dissemination of news reports among police officers, along with a server to maintain the database of department-related news items are set to be introduced. Following this, officers will get alerts via SMS with a link to a specific report.

According to sources, it is an extension of application that is used to share news reports by the heads of various State Departments at the Secretariat.

A server will be set up for the Police Department and would be linked to the server of the Department of Information and Public Relations. Chief Office Control Room at DGP office will forward the messages received from the Secretariat to the field officers concerned through a web-based application. The reports could also be sent to the officers concerned via SMS (along with a gist of the story) if suggested by superiors, an officer said.

Control room staff members will be given access to make changes in the software such as enrolling details of officers, including their mobile numbers, and also creating official groups. The software will also have facility to store newspaper articles in different categories based on the nature of the reports like law and order problems, crimes, welfare and administration to make the database search-friendly.

Tenders have been floated to set up the system and to integrate it with the server of Department of Information and Public Relations.