The field trials for the implementation of the Crime Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS), which would connect all the 1,400-odd police stations in the State to a central database, will get under way in the city within three months.
Once operational, the database would provide details of all first information reports (FIRs), pending cases and those relating to court proceedings.
Apart from enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of police administration by creating a platform for sharing crime and criminal information across police stations, CCTNS also envisages citizen-friendly measures to file grievances and check the status of a complaint.
Training
IT Secretary Santhosh Babu said that the software development is nearing completion and will be tested shortly. “Once the hardware reaches the individual police stations, training halls would be set up to ensure police personnel use the system effectively.”
He said that while filing an FIR online would not be possible in the near future, there will be modules to file grievances through email. The status of a complaint can also be checked virtually, instead of making multiple visits to the police station.
Mr.Babu added that the software would have the capability to communicate with applications installed on mobile phones as well as hand-held devices, such as the e-challan system that has been deployed by the Chennai City Traffic Police. Thus, motorists would have the ability to view and pay pending traffic fines through an online portal.
The project, which is part of a national e-governance initiative, includes an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which would eventually pave the way for the creation of a unified biometric database of all those involved in criminal cases across the country.