Visakhapatnam station and several others under the purview of the East Coast Railway will soon have the facial recognition system, Railway Protection Force (RPF) Inspector General (ECoR) Raja Ram said here on Tuesday.
“The RPF is gearing up to modernise its force and improve surveillance and security at railway stations and yards. Efforts are on to make automation an integral part of the force,” Mr. Raja Ram told the media here.
Online complaints
Giving more details, he said the RPF was going in for large scale computerisation. “All entries including registering complaints will be done online and the database will be linked to Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS). The database of all criminals can be accessed from anywhere in the country and the relevant information can be shared. This move will improve our network with the civil police and other security agencies and intelligence agencies,” explained Mr. Raja Ram.
Referring to tracking of criminals, the IG said the RPF database would have the facial recognition system. Once a person’s picture is captured by CCTVs, it can be matched with the central database and CCTNS database. “This will help track anti-social elements. The criminals will be recognised immediately, even if they try to hoodwink security personnel by using false identities or disguise,” he said.
CCTV network
According to Mr. Raja Ram, Visakhapatnam railway station has 56 CCTVs cameras at present and the number will go up to 128 by mid-2020. “Utilising the Nirbhaya funds, around railway stations under this division will be brought under CCTV surveillance. The work is underway at Srikakulam station. To improve the monitoring, the CCTVs will be linked to the Command and Control Centre of the civil police,” he said.
By mid-2020, one more luggage scanner will be installed at the Gnanapuram main entrance of Vizag station, said Senior Divisional Security Commissioner J. Shrivastava. “We are acquiring more segways for better mobility of our staff at the stations,” he said.
Cybercrime lab in Bhubaneswar
To deal with the menace of people who use Internet, illegal software and apps to create fake identities and block tickets, the RPF is setting up a Cybercrime Lab at Bhubaneswar, involving an expenditure of ₹35 lakh.
“More dogs have been acquired and trained to detect ganja, narcotics and explosives. We are also modernising our arms and phasing out the old INSAS and SLR rifles,” said the RPF IG.
He also admitted that providing security to trains and railway property in the Maoist dominated areas in Chhattisgarh and Odisha was a major challenge for the force.
Helpline
Mr. Raja Ram said that though RPF has launched the toll-free helpline number 182 three years ago, the users are minimal. “People in distress, even after coming out of the stations can use this number in emergency. We will see that help reaches out to them,” said Mr. Raja Ram.
Waltair division DSP K.P James was present on the occasion.
