Chennai: Crime data of State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), which was dropped from the State police website in the pretext of server maintenance, is permanently kept off the site, prompting activists to say it is a “deliberate exercise saving the face of cops in the information era.”
Last year too, the removal was around the same time without any prior notification. The data had not been updated in the website (tnpolice.gov.in).
When contacted, officials had then said it was done for server maintenance.
The data, earlier hosted in the website, was in the publications menu of the home page. Now, the only publication pertaining to ‘crime’ is ‘CCTNS-e-Digest Usefulness Report 2014’, available under the publications tab under Quick Menu.
The month-wise crime data reported across the state since 2008 were available under publications tab accessed directly from the home page.
The site earlier also offered quarterly statistical handbook, which delved into details of wherewithal of the force itself in policing in every aspect, including strength and gear. The SCRB’s monthly crime data used to carry details, compared to national crime data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), until September 2014.
“We are currently working on consolidating the annual data, which will be uploaded soon”, said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.
The official parried a question on whether monthly data will also be simultaneously uploaded. “There is no policy decision on not to upload the monthly data”.
Rights activist M.J. Prabhakar said it is nothing but intellectual corruption of bureaucracy. “The data disclosure which was of use to civil society and watchdogs, should continue. Hiding statistics means there’s more to it”, he asserted.
