Easy access: Mysuru Police now on WhatsApp

In order to simplify the process of filing complaints and increase public participation in reporting violations and crime, the Mysuru City Police launched a WhatsApp service, here, on Tuesday.

Residents of the city will now be able to contact the ‘Public Eye’, an initiative launched in May, last year. While Public Eye concentrated mainly on traffic related offences, the WhatsApp service, apart from traffic violations, will also allow people to report crime or any illegal activity they observe to the police.

Besides the WhatsApp service, the city police launched an online service on their website to report lost belongings such as luggage, documents, cellphones or computers. A postal complaint system is also among the recent features introduced by the police.

WhatsApp service
Addressing a press meet, Police Commissioner B Dayananda said, complaints related to traffic violations, illegal parking, demand of excess fare by autorickshaws and cabs and others could be filed using the WhatsApp service. People could either send videos, voice recordings or photographs related to violations to the WhatsApp number 88617 86385.

Complainants should also compulsorily mention the location, date and time of crime or violation they would like to report. Based on the complaint, the city police will take necessary action, he said.

Public Eye had allowed citizens to capture photographs of traffic offenders and post it online on Mysuru Police’s website, www.mysorecitypolice.gov.in. Despite the programme’s success, it was hit by technical glitches. Yet, about 10-15 complaints were filed daily under Public Eye. The WhatsApp service will ease the process further and increase interaction between the police and the public, he said.

He said, a separate section is looking into complaints and feedback received on the social media. A team of technicians from New Delhi have recently trained the personnel for a week in this regard, he said.

Lost report
By using the Lost Report application on city police’s website, people can file complaints about missing objects online. “The feature will assist people to file complaints without coming to the police station. This will save their time and energy,” he said. With a police complaint compulsory for people to avail duplicates of their lost documents, they had to make trips to the local police station, which had affected tourists visiting the city. If a person files a Lost Report, he will get an acknowledgement slip immediately, Dayananda said.

Postal complaint
As a feature aimed at people who are not adept at using technology, a postal complaint feature has been introduced.

In case of demand of excess fare, misbehaviour or denial of service by autorickshaw or taxi drivers, people can use post cards placed at railway station, bus stand and autorickshaw stands to file a complaint, he said.