KTR asks Police to go high-tech, suggests use of drones to solve crimes

Calls for use of cutting-edge technology to take criminals head on

Hyderabad: Calling for the use of cutting-edge technology to take criminals head on, IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Wednesday suggested that the police use drones as first responders to reach the crime scene, with police personnel to follow next.

Speaking on women safety after launching the country’s first Public Safety Integrated Operations and Data Centre at the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate here, Rao said once a woman in distress pressed the SOS button, police drones should first reach the spot, suitably equipped with a camera and a blaring siren to warn the perpetrator of the crime. Police officials could physically reach the spot as second responders, he said, adding that if necessary, the State police could take up the issue with the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation or the Central government and get permission for operating such drones in select areas.

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Rao, quoting Home Minister Mohd Mahmood Ali that the response time for the police to reach the spot now after a ‘Dial 100’ call was five minutes, said drones could cut that response time down to one minute.

“It is imperative that we use cutting edge technology to remain proactive and not reactive,” he said, also calling for the training of police personnel as cyber warriors, since cybercrime was on the rise though the rate of other crimes was on the decline in the State.

The Minister pointed out that an MoU was signed on Wednesday between the Telangana Police and the Department of IT and IT Enabled Services to train the police force in cybersecurity.

The Minister also said the effective manner in which the Telangana Police maintained law and order in the State after its formation in 2014 had debunked all theories that law and order would go for a toss if statehood was granted to Telangana. On the contrary, the State had remained incident-free for the last six and a half years and was now a role model for other States on maintaining law and order effectively, he said.

Recalling the recent episode of Hyderabad Traffic constable G Babji running for nearly two kilometres to clear the way for an ambulance in the city, the Minister asked the police to come up with a mechanism to ensure an obstruction-free path for ambulances to reach hospital within the golden hour.

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