Filing police complaint just a call away

The new ‘Interactive Voice Recording System’ (IVRS) launched by the Mangalore Police Commissionerate on Independence day this year is an initiative to make the entire complaint filing procedure easier and pro-people.

Speaking to City Herald, Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that IVRS helps in bringing transparency in the system. Once the complaint is recorded by the IVRS, the person in-charge transmits the data to the nearest police station where the action needs to be taken as well as sends a copy of the data to all police stations. The Police Commissioner will also receive a copy, he says and adds that the complaint is screened on an hourly basis and the complainant is given a complaint number which he can use to check the status of his grievance.

Singh says that in case of emergency, people should call 100. IVRS is not an emergency service and is only useful in registering complaints and keeping a record of it.

However, inquiry will take place based on the IVRS complaint and in case of cognisable offence, a person will be called to file an FIR. IVRS is not a substitute for FIR.

“Through FIR, the cops can get details they want which can be used for investigation. They can also get physical evidences,” says Singh and adds that through IVRS complaints are received faster than the manual procedure and action can also be taken faster.
IVRS is cost effective and the entire system is installed at a cost of Rs 2.5 lakhs, he says and adds that the server records the complaint but the person in-charge also notes down the complaint and keeps a physical record of it.

Calls
As many as 21 complaints have been registered since the installation of the system. However, a lot of empty calls are received. Many just dial the number and don’t record the grievance. It may be either people trying it for curiosity or many a times people failing to understand on how to operate it, says Singh and adds one can easily identify empty calls with the volume of the data recorded.

How to use IVRS
Call 2222212 and choose language either English or Kannada. Give all personal details like name, phone number and postal address. One minute will be given to speak about the grievance. The person has to press # after recording his complaint. One can also receive a feedback about complaint either on email or can also visit the police station. IVRS is presently limited to calls made in Mangalore.

“Eve teasers can now beware, as with IVRS, women can report such grievances only with a phone call,” says a city based college student Srilakshmi.