Visakhapatnam cops are now just a touch away

Visakhapatnam: If you are in Vizag rural and facing problems, you don't need to visit a police station to lodge a complaint. People can now directly connect with the Vizag Rural Police (District Police Headquarters) on WhatsApp and lodge a complaint. With growing popularity of WhatsApp, DIG (Visakha Range) Srikanth on Wednesday launched Vizag Rural Police WhatsApp No 8142003339 service, enabling people to lodge complaints and provide information for quick action. Srikanth expressed hope that the facility would be a major boost to the Vizag rural police information source, especially with regard to getting information about the incidents such as eve-teasing, gambling, anti-social activities, traffic-related, ragging, chain snatchings, property offences, white collar offences and others in any corner of the district.

Over 40 police stations were located in Vizag Rural, including 17 police stations in 11 mandals in Vizag Agency. Of the total 17 police stations, nine police stations were located in highly Maoist infested areas such as Chintapalle, G. Madugula, GK Veedhi, Koyyuru, Sileru, Annavaram, Munchangiput, Pedabayalu, while eight were located in semi Maoist prone areas. The police officer made it clear that Whatsapp account is not a platform to register FIR, but only for quick response to people facing a problem anywhere.

Anyone posting irrelevant material and misusing the app would be face strict action. Women and elderly persons are generally apprehensive about visiting a police station to file a complaint. Now the women and others with a smart phone and Whatsapp connection can send the text, capture a picture or shoot videos of happening and transmit it to the number and one can directly call to the number, he added.

Superintendent of Police (Visakha Rural) Rahul Dev Sharma will be the admin of the Whatsapp account and it will be monitored round the clock by a group of trained cops. Soon after receiving complaints from the people, the cops at the District Police will alert the concerned police officer to respond to the complaint within 15 to 30 minutes. If it is cognizable offence, the police will visit the house of the complainant to register an FIR, Mr Srikanth added.