THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Given the increasing number of cyber crimes, the state government has decided to set up a cyber crime branch in the police to probe technology related crimes. Replying to discussions on demand for grants for the police in the Assembly on Thursday Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the new wing would be on the lines of the crime branch and special branch, with a state headquarters and district units.
He also said that the police was making use of technological advancements in investigations these days. He pointed out that the number of cyber crime cases in the state was increasing. While it was 363 in 2013, it rose to 489 in 2014. This year, so far, 135 crimes were registered. Mr Vijayan also said that steps were on to increase the representation of women in state police from the present rate of six percent to ten. Currently women officers are heading six police stations and two circle offices, and this would also go up. Special recruitment to police would be made from tribal and coastal areas, he said.
To enhance the police-public relationship, public relation officers would be appointed in all police stations and intelligence would be strengthened to prevent crimes. As part of ensuring the safety of children, all school vans will have GPS tracking facility, and emphasis would be on child missing cases. The government was giving full professional freedom to the police, and as a result, the efficiency of the force was increasing, he said citing the Jisha murder case and the ATM fraud probes. He said during the previous year though the police stations received 9.6 lakh petitions, only 5.65 lakh first information reports were registered.
