New Delhi: To tackle fake social media messages, the Delhi Police have advised its personnel and their families to avoid forwarding fake messages. One official said the move came after fake messages related to the force and its personnel became rampant in the days immediately after the Republic Day violence in the Capital.
According to the official, they have been sensitising their staff to verify every message before sending it along to anyone else. "Various steps are being taken to curb circulation of fake messages which are being forwarded with only one purpose just to lower the morale of the force," an official said.
According to police, they (police personnel) have been advised not to forward fake messages to any person or any social media group.
Meanwhile, another official said, personnel were also told to advise their families and other known people not to believe in such messages and also they should avoid sending them to others. The city police have also told senior officials to carry out sensitisation programmes for lower-ranked personnel on how to tackle false information.
"We have CyPAD, cyber cells in districts they have been working on the issue and keep a regular tab on social media," an official said, adding that they have also made arrests in cases related to the circulation of fake messages.
In the first week of February, acting on fake news about the resignation of police personnel, one person was arrested by Delhi Police from Rajasthan. Police have said a mischievous social media campaign was going on for two days propagating untrue rumours regarding disaffection in police ranks.
When asked how they are motivating police personnel, the official said, they have taken various steps like welfare schemes which include wellness centres, police foundation for education society that undertake capacity building.
"Also we have asked districts and units to regularly organise sampark sabhas and redress grievances. Besides one-to-one quarterly meetings with the staff by the ACP subdivision, functional ACsP at a personal level," police said.
According to Delhi Police data, out of a total of 216 Sampark Sabhas, 114 were held online till December last year.