FIR kiosks a big hit, Bengaluru to get 100 more

BENGALURU: The police will set up 100 kiosks across the city to simplify the process of filing complaints and obtaining first information reports (FIR). Talks are on with Cisco, the technology provider. The ATM-like kiosk, known as Remote FIR Centre, the first of which was launched on November 14 at a city mall, police say, has broken ice with the city’s public. Less than a month since its installation, it saw 94 complainants registering cases. Of them, 49 FIRs were issued – mainly relating to cases of theft – while 45 non-cognizable reports (NCRs) await court directions for further investigations.

City Police Commissioner MN Reddi told ET that one kiosk was not enough for a city like Bengaluru. “I’m fully convinced that we need at least 100 more and work is going on in this direction,” he said. He did not specify the time and cost involved. The first kiosk, located at a vantage point in the upmarket Mantri Mall in Malleswaram, is equipped with high-definition audio-video and a touch screen. It enables citizens to file a complaint by video-linking them to police officers sitting at the Traffic Management Centre. They can sign, print, scan documents, and ensure that the report is error-free. Once it is filed, a digitally-signed FIR is issued as an instant acknowledgement. The average time taken is five to 20 minutes depending on the nature of the complaint.

While police stations often refuse to register cases of theft and loss of mobiles or documents, the kiosk does not turn away any case, however minor it may be. Significantly, such a database would help law-keepers identify the true frequency and degree of crime, Reddi said. Nidhi Ravindra, who works with IIM-B, wished there was a Remote FIR Centre closeby after an autorickshaw driver abused her verbally when she pointed out his faulty meter last week. “I finally sent a lengthy email to the traffic police about the horrific experience,” she said. Nidhi is still awaiting a response.

On the question whether this facility is accessible by all, S Sadagopan, director, International Institute of Information Technology, felt that it excited and addressed the needs of “one kind of people only”. The remedy, he told ET, is to make the policeman people-friendly. Admitting that the first kiosk’s location restricted access to all, Reddi assured ET that new kiosks would be accessible and also bilingual. “People can walk into them and talk to the same people who would otherwise be in a police station. There will be a constable or home guard to assist them at the kiosks,” he added.