DySP-ranked officers to head cybercrime stations, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday announced that the dedicated Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime (CEN) police stations will be headed by an ACP or a DySP-ranked officer given the rise in cyberfrauds in the state.

Briefing the press after attending the annual conference of senior police officers in the state, Siddaramaiah said that either the appointed ACPs or the DySPs will be the Station House Officers (SHOs). 

“Cybercrimes are increasing in the city,” Siddaramaiah said.

“That’s why all police stations have cybercrime sections. I have directed the officers to pay more attention and urged them to use equipment with modern technologies.”

The CM also announced that the Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in eight divisions in Bengaluru will have additional DCPs.

“Bengaluru alone has an estimated population of 1.5 crore and hence the proposal. The question of conflict among the officers won’t arise as the police department works in a hierarchy,” Siddaramaiah said.

The chief minister urged the senior officers to visit the police station and guide the personnel while making sure that the force remained people-friendly.

“A quality probe should be done so that the conviction rate increases,” the chief minister said.

“The loopholes should be fixed. Senior officers should guide the investigation officers,” he said.

Siddaramaih said that the conviction rate for crimes against women and children and those from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) should be increased.

“The chargesheets in such cases should be filed within 60 days. All in all, once the conviction rate increases, the crime rate decreases,” Siddaramaiah said, adding that the police should keep an eye on rowdy and anti-social elements as Parliament elections are close by and ensure that no communal clashes take place.

The chief minister also directed the police to make Karnataka a drug-free state.

“In the last six months, the Karnataka police has seized 4,484 kg ganja and 23 kg synthetic drugs worth Rs 27 crore. In the first week of February, these seized drugs will be disposed of,” he said.

Cut-off box - Silver medals for cops Given the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the renaming of Karnataka the chief minister announced that all the police personnel in the state would be presented with silver medals. Siddaramaiah also said that a Suvarna Mahotsava Bhavana would be set up to commemorate the naming of the state police force as Karnataka Police and announced that the medical expenditure of all policemen in the state will be increased from Rs 1000 to 1500. Before the conference the chief minister inspected the mobile labs of bomb detection and diffusion force and forensic lab and the upgraded vehicle of the Mobile Command and Control Centre.