Noida policemen to be equipped with radio-frequency readers to monitor their movement and response time

Do you trust cops? If your answer is in the negative, there is no need to be embarrassed. For it seems the Noida police department doesn't have too much faith in the conduct of its own men. The department has now decided to implement an e-beat policing technology under which every beat constable will be strapped with a radio-frequency reader to monitor his each and every movement.

The Noida police hopes this will usher in a sense of accountability among its personnel and will improve their response time. So sure is the department of the success of this project that it has claimed that now a policeman will reach a crime spot within 10 minutes.u00a0

"We want to make our police force fast and efficient, so we have decided to install this new radio frequency service. These devices will be given to each beat constable and while they are on duty the device will record all their movements at all locations at all times. After this we will transfer the data stored in the device to a centralised computer network. This will help us reach a spot within 10 minutes and will also make each beat officer accountable for his duties," said AK Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Noida.u00a0u00a0

There is good reason behind this transition. The crime graph in the city is soaring each month. Cases of theft, snatching and bike-lifting are common.

A perennial complaint of residents has been police personnel missing from action when they are most needed. With the installation of the radio-frequency reader a beat constable will not be able to mislead the department about his location and duties, as his every action will be recorded, centrally stored and monitored.

The conventional point book system, which consisted of books where beat constables made entries of their duties, is prone to wear and tear. In comparison, the e-beat system is expected to be more efficient and effective. To compliment the system, Noida police is already undergoing a major technological revamp. "We will be doing a complete video surveillance of the city the control room with 125 CCTV cameras to be put up, which will provide real time patrolling. Soon Dial 100 and vehicle tracking will be working at full potential, helping us serve people better," Singh added

Policing the police
Every constable will be provided with a reader. With the press of a button a green light would come on indicating that the reader has been activated and the beat has started. A similar mechanism deactivates the reader at the end of the beat. The constable will then connect the reader to a charger at the police station which will in turn be connected to the central computer that will download information stored about the beat. This information can then be used for analysis and more effective patrolling. The reader is user-friendly, more like a torch, and comes with a waterproof jacket or pouch that can be inserted into the constable's belt, so that his hands are free.