'E-beat' initiative facilitates drop in crime rate

A new-age tech initiative that helps in constant monitoring of police personnel on night patrol has led to a substantial 39 per cent reduction in crime in the Gujarat capital.
While there were 77 cases of dacoity, loot, house break- ins and thefts reported in the first three months of 2012, a 39 per cent reduction can be seen in such crimes in the same period this year, because of 'e-beat' programme, a senior police official said.
With the 'e-beat' programme, senior police officials can monitor if the field staff is on duty or not. Earlier, there was no mechanism to find out if the field duty staff was patrolling in the night or not.

"'E-beat' has aided in monitoring beat patrolling. However, the crucial aspect would be its cost-effectiveness and efficiency over the long run. Currently, the programme has been started on a pilot project basis in the capital city," IG, Gandhinagar Range, Shamsher Singh told PTI.
"Police personnel patrolling at night are given cellphone with Android software. Specific points have been identified where bar-coded stickers are put - which when pointed to the cell phone - sends signal to the control room about a policeman's presence in a particular area," Gandhinagar DySP J A Jadeja said.
"This has helped in monitoring police personnel's patrolling duty, which, in turn, has helped in reducing certain crimes," Jadeja said.

The stickers are put at certain junctions which police have identified as vulnerable.