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Citizen Engagement, Local Government, Technology

India: SMS for police help

By Alice Kok | 8 January 2009

The Hyderabad police have launched SMS facility for quick access to the police. In case of emergency, citizens of Hyderabad can get help by texting the police.

The capital city of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad’s population of seven million are asked to “send an SMS to 9010100100 but use the facility judiciously, only if life and property is under immediate threat”. B. Prasada Rao Police Commissioner says the service can also be used when citizens were “affected by a crime or accident or witnessed it and see no policemen around”.

The SMS will be received in a command and control centre through a facility known as ‘ACT NOW’. Operators will immediately forward the information to an officer in the field. This facility created as an alternative to dialing 100 as police have received feedback that people were finding it hard to access 100.

Instructions have been given to citizens for a brief SMS format that will help classify the cases into categories like ‘crime’, ‘harassment of women’, ‘terror’ and such. Police have cautioned citizens against sending hoax messages and warned of prosecution in such situations.

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