Karnataka Police to go hi-tech for quick response

The Karnataka Police will soon be modernised for quick response to any eventuality and enhanced vigilance against terror threats, Home Minister K.J. George said Thursday.

"A mega city policing plan will soon be implemented under the modernisation of state police force scheme of the union home ministry to secure people from any untoward incident and maintain heightened vigil against any terror attack," George told reporters here after reviewing the law and order situation across the state.

The scheme, to be largely funded by the central government, envisages use of latest gadgets like GPS (global positioning system) and GIS (global information system) for control rooms, patrol cars, CCTV cameras, surveillance system, vehicle scanners and number plate identification system.

"Under the Rs.432-crore modernisation plan, the home ministry has chosen Bangalore along with Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai to set up quick response teams, an integrated GIS-based automated vehicle tracking and management system and a communication monitoring system," George said.

The state government has also decided to recruit about 8,000 police personnel during this fiscal (2013-14) for deployment across the state, including 2,900 in Bangalore, taking its strength to 12,700.

In view of the daring escape of a serial rapist and killer Jaishankar from the Bangalore central jail Sep 1, the minister said the home department would introduce bio-metric system, build watch towers and install CCTVs for greater surveillance of the prison.

The Bureau of Police Research and Development will hold an all-India city police commissioners' conference in the city in November to mark the golden jubilee of the Bangalore Commissionerate, which was set up in 1963, city Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said on the occasion.