Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Good response to ‘Smart Sys’

Hundreds of messages have poured in since the facility was launched on March 2. ‘Smart Sys,’ a public-police interactive system based on Short Messaging Service (SMS) for crime/criminal information and database management has evoked a good response in Madurai Range comprising of Madurai and Virudhunagar districts.

Encouraged by the public reaction, Commissioner of Police K. Nandabalan has planned to introduce the concept to Madurai City with some modifications. A technical team would manage ‘Smart Sys’ and coordinate with the police and public, he said.

With an assurance on the secrecy of the informer and prompt action on the information, messages have started coming in. Though common messages include complaints of eve-teasing, flesh trade, power shutdown and traffic snarls, police are confident that vital inputs on sensitive issues could also drop in once the system proves its purpose.

Among the first few messages received on the toll-free ‘9788111000’ was that of a grievance received from a student who complained of songs often played for functions or meetings in his locality through giant loudspeakers that was disturbing his studies. A police team is said to have visited the scene and took appropriate action.

The ‘Smart Sys’ also provides for the sender (of messages) to know of the action taken on his/her information.

According to Deputy Inspector General of Police (Madurai Range) K. Jayanth Murali, who took the initiative to launch the facility in Madurai, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) would also be linked to ‘Smart Sys’ making it a comprehensive information provider both for the police and public.

“If someone wants to purchase a used vehicle, he or she can send the registration number and seek particulars of the vehicle. We can confirm the genuineness of the documents and also inform whether the vehicle is involved in any offence,” he added.

To clear the doubts on ‘Smart Sys,’ the police are contemplating meetings at the police station level to explain its salient features. For those not well versed with mobile phone operations, the police are willing to give a demonstration.

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