SMS to help police verify vehicle ownership

Ahmedabad: Cops will soon have a new way to check the documents of your vehicle. The city police will soon be equipped with a special mobile phone-software via which they will able to cross-check the documents of any vehicle and its owner just by sending an SMS. Satish Sharma, joint commissioner of police, said on Wednesday that the new system will soon be in place in the city.
The Ahmedabad police commissioner had recently issued a notification directing all vehicle owners to carry their vehicle registration documents and licence for random security checks in the city. This spelt trouble for cops as well as vehicle owners because not always do the latter have the required documents. Each day, on an average, the city police officials have been detaining 250 to 300 vehicles, only to find out later that the vehicle drivers, who did not have documents to prove their ownership, were telling the truth.
In order to resolve the issue, the city’s police authorities have come up with a software that will be installed in a server at the city police control room. “The policeman on the street will need to just SMS the vehicle’s registration number. Within seconds, the cop will get a reply SMS containing the vehicle owner’s name and address. The vehicle owner will be saved from detention of vehicle and it will make our job easier,” added Sharma.
There is more good news for the common man who often complains about harassment at the hands of police officials. The city will soon have a helpline dedicated to recording public’s grievances against police officials. For instance, if any police official refuses or delays to register your complaint or misbehaves with you, a call to the helpline will ensure your grievance is redressed by a senior official.
“I read in newspapers that in Ellisbridge a woman whose necklace was snatched by a biker did not wish to file a plaint as she doubted whether the cops would be able to help her. We visited her at home and filed her plaint,” said Sharma.

Cops claim drop in crime rate


Ahmedabad police authorities claimed that the city has witnessed a drop in crime rate. “While there has been an increase of 4% in thefts, in other categories like murder, attempt to murder and kidnapping, crime rate has dropped by 18-78%. This is the biggest drop recorded in crime rate in the last nine years,” said Sharma.