The city police have taken a hi-tech step towards preventing crime, by launching an app ‘Madurai City Police’. The app is a smart handy solution for people in need, to approach the police instantly. Designed by a city-based start-up Techno Wizards, the app has options of SOS calls, complaint registration and provides important data like contacts of officers and police stations in the city, information on traffic rules and regulations on a daily basis and a directory on the city’s places of interest.
“Using technology is a smart way of preventing/solving crime. The app empowers people to reach or approach the police easily. Through this, I have put in place an emergency system response that’s quick and effective,” assures Shailesh Kumar Yadav, the Commissioner of Police, Madurai City. “At the Commissioner’s office, we have a full-fledged server at the Crime Prevention Cell that’s being monitored round-the-clock. Any call or alert we receive over the app is acted upon immediately.”
“Once, we receive a call, we try to get in touch with the person over phone. And if the person is unable to attend the call, we alert the nearest police station and a police personnel reaches the spot within five minutes. Since the GPS position, with the longitude latitude details is received, it’s easier for us to locate the person,” says the commissioner. “Last year we had a similar app for which the service provider was from Mumbai and we received over 200 calls. Now, since we have a local server, it’s easier for us to maintain the system.”
“We started developing the app last January and so far there have been 1,800 downloads. Mostly, the younger tech-savvy population are the users. It will be a great tool for women who face problems on the road, at home and workplaces. For any victim, he/she just needs to press the SOS button and their location gets sent to the crime prevention cell,” says Dinesh Pandian, part of Techno Wizards, operating out of Madurai.
They have created 85 apps so far, for various social causes and clients. For instance, an app for blind people helps them locate and find directions inside their house and neighbourhood. Right now they are working on apps for smart classrooms and teaching tools, using augmented reality technology. Another app under construction is exclusively for Madurai that’ll be an aid for travellers listing out tourist places, hospitals, hotels, museums, parks and other places of interest. “We will be doing it for various cities across India. The listing for government and public places is free but if a commercial or private firm wants to be listed in the app, they will be charged,” says Dinesh Pandian.
Madurai City Police can be downloaded from PlayStore on the link https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appdevfactory.MaduraiCityPolice
