Govt to launch shortcode to prevent violence against women
Other initiatives include incident tracking software for complaint management, and the introduction of online general diaries (GD) and FIR filing
The government has decided to launch a shortcode service alongside the police hotline to combat violence against women.
Regarding the initiatives, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant to the chief adviser on telecommunications and ICT, explained that the government has started developing a Police Command App to enhance the management of police activities and ensure the security of internal communication systems, reads a press relase.
Other initiatives include incident tracking software for complaint management, a shortcode for reporting violence against women, and the introduction of online general diaries (GD) and FIR filing.
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"The national helpline 333 will now have an additional 3, forming 3333, through which complaints of women's abuse can be reported. Alternatively, by calling 333 and selecting option 3, calls will be forwarded to the police call centre," said Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb.
To ensure a comfortable reporting process for women, the call centre will exclusively employ female staff. However, since expanding the capacity of the 999 emergency service will take time, the 3333 service will remain separate for now.
In addition, the process for filing online general diaries will be updated, with online FIR submissions being introduced. Calls to the call centre will be forwarded to the relevant police station after the profile is downloaded.
Taiyeb also mentioned that the database of police officers' phone numbers is currently being updated.
The ICT Division will provide technical support for implementing these initiatives, and the prototype of the Police Command App has already been completed.
"Currently, police officers use WhatsApp for internal communication, which wastes time and carries the risk of information leakage. To address this, a 'Push to Talk' app is being developed to prevent data leakage," said Taiyeb.
The app will feature multiple levels of communication within the force, with the top officials, including the IGP, at Tier-1, followed by district-level officers. However, officers at the station level will not be added to the app for now.
An incident tracking system will also be implemented to monitor communication and steps taken during any crime. This will make the service more efficient, saving time and reducing the workload on police personnel.
