Ahmedabad: The city crime branch has introduced a Telegram-based system to ensure police officers receive real-time alerts of incidents reported through 112 Jan Rakshak emergency response network. The move comes after technical limitations and restricted portal access left field officers and senior officials without timely information about crimes and emergencies.Under the new arrangement, alerts generated through the 112 emergency response system are automatically converted into text messages and shared with police personnel through Telegram. The system is currently being tested, and the crime branch plans to refine it based on feedback before considering wider implementation.A senior city police officer said the existing mechanism often affected response times because information reported by citizens did not always reach officers responsible for handling incidents on the ground.According to the officer, calls made to 112 are initially handled by outsourced personnel rather than police officers. These operators assess the seriousness of the complaint before passing it on to the designated 112 team at the police station concerned. In several cases, officials believe the gravity of offences is incorrectly assessed, while local station house officers, assistant commissioners of police and deputy commissioners of police may remain unaware of incidents in real time.The officer added that senior officials often come to know about incidents only after logging into the 112 portal through a desktop or laptop. Since the portal does not support mobile access, officers in the field face difficulties monitoring alerts while on the move.As a result, police personnel have relied on informal arrangements such as WhatsApp groups and staff deployed at control rooms to keep track of incidents occurring in their jurisdictions.“These are not ideal methods of handling crime, especially when significant resources have been spent on software intended to improve communication between police and citizens and reduce response time,” the officer said.The Telegram-based system aims to address these shortcomings by automatically forwarding live alerts to police personnel, enabling them to access information instantly without logging into the portal.An officer associated with the project said the initiative is currently in the pilot phase and will be expanded after feedback is reviewed, and necessary modifications are made.A deputy commissioner of police in Ahmedabad said senior officers still depend largely on unofficial police station groups and personal contacts to learn about incidents in their areas.“We no longer receive wireless messages as we did earlier. Most information comes through personal groups and informal sources. If an incident appears serious, the police inspector follows it up,” the officer said.Gujarat introduced the statewide 112 Jan Rakshak system on Sept 1, 2025, replacing multiple emergency helplines, including police emergency number 100, with a unified response platform aimed at improving emergency coordination and public service delivery.
