Crime Stopper Cell- Brain child of Arun Kumar SinhaInformation is the backbone of better and modern policing. No Police setup can function effectively without an information collection system. The prevention and detection of crime mainly depends upon the information that Police collects from the public. Many good citizens are willing to share information about crime and criminals. But, for fear of being exposed or further questioning by police, they do not come forward and on most occasions they prefer to withhold the information with themselves.
It was in this situation, a people friendly mechanism called ?Crime Stopper Cell? was constituted in Thiruvananthapuram City in the year 1995 by the then City Police Commissioner Shri: Arunkumar Sinha IPS. The City Police is always firmly resolved to give the citizens an efficient, transparent and responsive apparatus for the prompt and timely enforcement of law to redress their woes and agonies. Apart from open registration of cases, the focus was mainly on prevention of crimes in society by sharpening the edges of such a people friendly initiate. The main aims and objectives of this mechanism are to encourage good citizens to share information about crimes and criminals over phone without revealing their identity and thereby help police to curb the crimes in the society.
The System consists a toll-free telephone line and Computer aided Desk having been manned by an HC/PC round the Clock to provide assistance to the public in stress. As desired by the higher-ups, the way of its functioning has been well clearly spelled out to public many a time or where ever possible, as such that anyone can share any information with police without exposing their whereabouts. Any Citizens who comes to know anybody to commit a crime or having information that a wanted criminal is camping at a hide-out or having any other information which is of use to the police from the law & order point of view etc, are heartily encouraged to give such information to the Crime Stopper Cell keeping informant?s name and address concealed. The person on duty at Crime Stopper Cell who attends such calls would at once register the complaint and the informant will be informed of the action taken by police. For this purpose, a computer-generated code will be given to the informant on receiving a message from him. When such informants call later citing the code given, the substance of the action taken would be orally communicated to him then and there. A suitable computer program has also been developed for storing or transmitting the information and for maintaining a permanent track of upkeeping records etc. As soon as the information is received in the Crime Stopper Cell, its content is keyed in Computer and the print-out thereon is forwarded to the appropriate field Officer as decided by the Commissioner of Police for verification. Similar facility as above is now incorporated with Police Web Portal also for enabling the public to register online complaints with the Police anonymously and the same bridges the barrier between the Police and Public. The system has very much helped in the detection of so many cases including grave crimes. Since the Crime Stopper Cell in Tvpm City has meanwhile proved its credibility and reliability as above, there had been an increase of about 50 per cent in the number of complaints received. The calls received are of in different kind, which mostly relates to antisocials, goondas, drugg-peddlers, ferrying of illicit liquor, abuse over mobile phones, traffic offenders etc. The calls on child abuse and sexual assault are also received in the Cell. As an emergency help-line, the Cell extends its hands of help to all who need it. In short, the Crime Stopper Cell is highly helpful to the residents in the City to redress their grief without appearing in Police Stations in person. Finally, the Crime Stopper Cell also functions as a Grievance Cell which aims at protecting the rights of public and to curb the commissioning of crimes. This really helps the rehabilitation and social integration of unwanted elements in our community. Above all it has made a break-through for the concept of community policing which aims to insulate the public from the threat of criminal harassment.
