- Kudos to U’khand Police

Kudos to the Uttarakhand and Dehradun police for having recovered a kidnapped child from his abductors within a day! Given that the perpetrators were rank amateurs, but often, by their very nature, such criminals are the more dangerous because they can panic or make mistakes, thereby threatening the lives of those kidnapped. Fortunately for the child and his family, nothing untoward happened and the tracking down of the kidnappers and the subsequent rescue went smoothly.
The Uttarakhand Police have had a very rough run for quite some time now. Apart from the difficulties it has had with the general public, there have been a number of cases that have remained tragically unsolved. So, it comes as a relief that, at a time when it mattered, the cops came good.
Of course, it is also because the police have acquired a certain technological proficiency in using telecommunications related technology while investigating crimes. An extraordinary number of cases are being busted, particularly in opportunistic crime or accidents, thanks to the ability to track or tap mobiles. So deeply have mobiles become a part of people’s lives that they often forget they carry a clear record of their movements and conversations. In fact, it now requires considerable criminal expertise and care to ensure that planning and action does not get reflected in mobile phone records.
There is absolutely no doubt now that a ‘wired’ populace has become easier to track and monitor. It is said that in the United States, almost every single person’s whereabouts are under some or the other kind of surveillance at any given moment of time. If the police here become more IT and Internet savvy, and utilise CCTV technology intelligently, it would become extremely difficult for criminals to avoid leaving a trace of their activities.
Having seen the utility of technology in this kidnapping case, the Uttarakhand Police must make the necessary effort to ensure that wherever CCTV cameras are supposed to be installed, they are in working order. Certain initiatives have been taken technology-wise that also need to be put effectively into operation, which would improve response time, in particular.
There are other initiatives in the offing that can be expected to make police work easier if the department keeps itself up to date. These include the Unique Identity Number, the various biometric records at various levels and the possibility, soon, of a state-wide and national crime database. Technology will keep providing answers and opportunities, all that is required is that police personnel begin to look beyond traditional methods and train to use these resources effectively.