The City of Destiny is said to be by and large peaceful when it comes to crime or law and order. The only aspect that gives the police sleepless nights is the impending traffic time bomb. Of late, cyber crime is another aspect that is making the men in khaki ponder upon.
Visakhapatnam is said to be in the number two spot after Bengaluru in cyber crime offences. Despite this fact, the police commissionerate has just one cyber crime cell, which is manned by one inspector-rank officer, one sub-inspector, and a handful of staff.
Keeping the gravity of the issue in mind, it is learnt that Commissioner of Police Amit Garg has sent a proposal to open a full-fledged cyber crime police station on the lines of the one that exists at Cyberabad in Hyderabad.
After bifurcation, there is no full-fledged cyber crime police station in the State. Keeping that in mind and rise in cyber crimes, we have sent the proposal, the CP has said.
According to sources, the cyber crime station will have at least one ACP-rank officer heading it. He will be assisted by at least three inspectors, six sub-inspectors, six head constables, 20 constables, and four home guards.
It is learnt that the officers selected to be posted in the station may have to undergo training in handling various types of cyber offences.
“People with basic computer knowledge may be selected and given training in cyber forensic. A person attached to the cyber crime station should have some basic knowledge such as call data analysis, how to track calls and emails, and bank data analysis,” said a senior police officer.
Another officer points out that youngsters may be preferred to assist a few experienced ones, as cyber crime station officers are expected to be smart and tech savvy.
Since 2011, the total number of cyber crimes recorded at the cyber cell has been 550.
“With over 230 cases, e-mail abuse heads the list of offences. It is followed by online job and lottery fraud with 130 cases. Hacking is one area which is on the rise in the recent times,” says cyber crime cell inspector K. Satyanarayana Rao.
