Digital Policing Revolution

The use of technology has the potential to transform governance, and it is encouraging to see an increasing number of young civil servants leveraging technology to foster positive change and enhance public trust. A notable example is the initiative led by Noorul Hassan, a young police officer in Bhandara. His efforts exemplify the ‘Nexus of Good,’ as these practices are both replicable and scalable. Under his inspired leadership, a number of steps have been implemented, with tangible results visible to all.

A WhatsApp-based AI chatbot, known as the Cyber Bot, has been developed to provide citizens with real-time cyber assistance and awareness. Powered by CYBOT-X Technologies, this initiative bridges the gap between technology and public safety. The chatbot offers multilingual support, instant cyber fraud notifications, and educational content on cybersecurity and women’s safety features.

The Conviction Monitoring System is a digital platform designed to streamline the management of criminal cases from investigation to conviction. It provides law enforcement agencies and legal authorities with a centralised database to access case details and automatically manage communication with relevant parties, including investigating officers, public prosecutors, witnesses, victims, and other officials. This entails:

* Manual Case Detail Access: Secure login for authorised personnel to view and update case information.

* Organised dashboards displaying case status, accused profiles, hearing dates, and evidence logs.

* Advanced search and filter options for quick retrieval of specific case files.

* Automated Communication Module.

* Witness Notification System: Automatically sends SMS and voice call alerts to witnesses about upcoming hearings, schedule changes, or required documentation.

* Customizable Message Templates: Enable sending professional, legally appropriate messages without manually drafting each time.

* Call Scheduling System: Automatically places reminder calls to witnesses a set number of days before the court date using IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technology.

* Delivery Reports: Track whether messages or calls were successfully delivered, read, or answered.

* Audit Trails and Logs: Maintain a log of who accessed or modified any case file, ensuring accountability and transparency.

A Service Excellence & Victim Assistance (SEVA) Portal was launched to enhance reporting convenience for citizens. This important digital platform allows individuals to easily register complaints, which can then be monitored by the concerned officers. All updates are sent to citizens via WhatsApp through the SEVA Portal.

E-Darbar consists of weekly online grievance redressal meetings held by the Superintendent of Police’s office. In this system, officers and employees from every police station can attend an online session once a week to present their issues and discuss them with the concerned authority. The Superintendent of Police reviews the complaints, provides appropriate instructions to clerical staff, and tracks the actions taken by officers to ensure timely follow-up. Furthermore, the Superintendent can monitor all completed tasks and actions by subordinate officers and staff, thereby promoting accountability and efficiency.

E-Samadhan is an online complaint system that enables subordinate police officers, station in-charges, divisional officers, and staff from various branches to participate in the grievance redressal process. Through E-Samadhan, officers and staff can directly register their grievances online. The Superintendent of Police reviews these grievances and ensures that necessary corrective measures are implemented promptly. This system enhances coordination, transparency, and the prompt resolution of problems faced by police personnel.

An “Aarogyam Bhandara Police” mobile application has been developed with the health-related needs of police personnel in the district in mind. Its main benefits include:

* Centralised Health Information Storage.

* Online Video Consultation.

* Regular Health Check-up Reminders.

* Mental Health Awareness.

* Family Facilities.

* Privacy and Security.

ISO-Certified Police Stations: The process of obtaining ISO certification has been started for a total of 17 establishments, out of which 12 establishments have already received ISO 9001:2015 certification. Under ISO certification, the evaluation includes basic facilities provided to citizens (such as washrooms, drinking water, and seating arrangements), the cleanliness and updated records of the police station, and the social responsibility carried out by the police station.

QR Code-Based Anti-Narcotics Drug Campaign (Jagar Nasha Mukti Abhiyan).

GPS-Based Patrolling Monitoring System: This initiative has resulted in all police stations and branches within the Bhandara police force being equipped with GPS systems. As a result, it is now possible to monitor the speed, movement routes, and total distance travelled by police vehicles throughout the district. These parameters are efficiently monitored through the control room at headquarters, supporting effective night rounds, efficient beat patrolling, and the coordinated movement of anti-dacoity squads.

Shauryagatha – Cyber and Crime Awareness Magazine: The Digital Cyber Awareness Magazine is a monthly publication designed to educate citizens about online safety, cyber threats, and digital hygiene. It covers topics such as cybercrime prevention, safe internet practices, data privacy, the latest scams, and government initiatives to promote cybersecurity awareness. The magazine serves as a valuable resource for students, professionals, and the general public, helping them stay informed and protected in the digital world.

AI-Powered KPI Tool (Key Performance Indicator): The AI-Powered KPI Tool is an intelligent performance monitoring system designed to evaluate and enhance the operational efficiency of police stations. By leveraging Artificial Intelligence, the tool automatically collects, analyses, and visualises key performance indicators (KPIs) such as crime detection rates, preventive actions, action taken against illegal activities, response times, pending cases, community engagement activities, and resource utilisation. In total, 42 parameters are selected, with each parameter assigned a specific score.

Preventive Actions Management System (Upcoming): The Preventive Action Management System is a technology-driven platform that supports law enforcement in recording, analysing, and monitoring preventive policing measures. It enables police departments to systematically document activities such as patrolling, surveillance, community outreach, suspect monitoring, and early intervention efforts aimed at preventing crime before it occurs. By leveraging data analytics, the system helps identify patterns, assess the effectiveness of preventive measures, and optimise resource allocation.

Beat Information System (Upcoming): The Beat Information System is a digital platform developed to streamline and modernise beat-level policing. It stores comprehensive information about all police beats in a centralised digital format, including geographical boundaries, assigned officers, routine patrolling data, local intelligence, and crime-prone zones. A key feature of the system is geo-tagging, which enables precise mapping of beat areas and real-time tracking of patrolling activities. This ensures effective coverage, improves accountability, and enhances coordination between field officers and police stations.

The impact of these initiatives is evident in the significant reduction of crime across all categories. For example, murder cases dropped from 35 to 7, and other bodily offences have also decreased appreciably. Actions against illegal activities have increased manifold, and preventive measures against repeat offenders have seen a sharp rise. Overall, public confidence in the system has grown, and the police department’s image has improved substantially.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is an author and a former civil servant