Online verification of fingerprints of suspects on a real-time basis is all set to revolutionise crime investigation with the State police taking up a pilot project in Prakasam district.
For the first time in the state, Police Communication and Tracking System(P CATS) has been put in place in Ongole to unleash the power of digital technology to crack crimes swiftly on the one hand and at the same time put an end to unnecessary harassment of innocent citizens, says Superintendent of Police Ch.Srikanth.
The project enables verification of the fingerprints of the suspects caught under suspicious circumstances roads at odd times online with the data available at the Command Control Centre (CCC) here within seconds for speedy identification of offenders and expediting ongoing investigations, he says.
“We have done away with the practice of taking all the suspects nabbed during patrolling to the police station and interrogate them in the conventional method,” the SP told The Hindu .
“P CATS” reduces the burden of bringing unwanted persons to the police station and questioning them for hours or even days together and ensures speedy identification of offenders and expediting ongoing probes, he adds.
The Rakshak teams in the city are provided with fingerprint analysers attached to smart mobile phones. The fingerprints are collected then and there from the suspects and verified online with the fingerprints database of over 16,500 past offenders readily available at the CCC within 10 to 15 seconds, says CCC In-charge Officer V.Suryanarayana. “Only those suspects, whose fingerprints matched are taken to the police station concerned for further probe,” he adds.
In the next phase, the fingerprints datebase will be integrated with the state and national fingerprints database of close to 30 lakh convictes and arrested criminals, the SP reveals.
“P CATS” also helps track crime as it happens and rush additional forces to the scene of offence whenever required, Mr Suryanarayana explains, adding, it will be used for live video broadcasting and photo upload from Crime and Law and Order situations in the future. It will also be used in controlling public gatherings, monitoring Patrolling vehicles, VIP Convoys and Covert Operations.
