Coimbatore: For the first time in the state, Coimbatore city police are going to issue computer-generated First Information Reports (FIR) to complainants, begining April 1 (Friday). A state crime records bureau official said that the same system will be implemented across the state from April 15.
Tamil Nadu state police had launched Criminal and Crime Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project on March 13, 2013, across the state with more than 1,500 police stations linked to the network. The project was launched to make the functioning of the police department transparent, effective, accountable and citizen friendly.
As part of the project, the state police have compiled a data base of criminals. Case details from 2002 to 2012, including murder, murder for gain, property crimes including robbery, dacoity, chain snatching and thefts have been uploaded on the network. The state police has also trained constables on how to work with CCTNS. All FIRs registered till March 30, 2016, have been uploaded on to the network.
A meeting was convened at the conference hall at the office of the city police commissioner by the deputy commissioner of police Nisha Parthiban and additional deputy superintendent of police (police computer wing - state crime records bureau) R Russel Samraj on Thursday afternoon. He told constables that it was mandatory to issue computer-generated FIRs to complainants from April 1. They have been given two weeks to practice using the network.
ADSP Russel Samraj said that the state has 1534 police stations and 375 special units including Crime Branch -CID. "Computer generated FIRs will be provided to petitioners from April 15. We would supply special A4 size papers embedded with state government symbols to all police stations within 10 days. These papers would have security codes and no one can forge them," said Russel Samraj.
Handwritten FIRs get damaged within 10 years or they fade, he said. The computer-generated FIRs would last for at least 25 years.
