Panchkula: The Panchkula police website, meant to be a key public information platform, is riddled with outdated data and missing information, raising concerns about its usefulness at a time when residents increasingly rely on online resources for emergency contacts, crime prevention advice and police services.A review of the district police portal found several sections carrying years-old information, with little reference to emerging threats such as digital arrest scams, malicious APK files and other cyber frauds that have become increasingly common. While the website details older fraud methods such as card cloning and card misuse, it offers limited guidance on newer cybercrime trends.The National Cyber Crime Helpline number 1930, widely used to report online frauds and freeze transactions, is also missing from key sections despite regular awareness campaigns conducted by the police.Information relating to women and child safety also appears dated. The women cell section, for instance, continues to refer to complaint figures from 2022. The Economic Offences Wing page similarly carries references to 2021 and 2022 data, providing little insight into current crime patterns.Road safety information on the portal also relies on accident statistics from 2021 and 2022, despite road crashes remaining a major concern in the district.The website’s emergency contact information is inconsistent as well. While some pages mention both 100 and 112, others continue to prominently display 100 as the police control-room number, even though 112 is now the nationwide emergency response number. References to offences under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) are also largely absent.Perhaps most significantly, the district portal does not provide easily accessible and regularly updated Panchkula-specific crime statistics, making it difficult for residents, researchers and journalists to track local crime trends. While Haryana Police maintains state-level crime data, comparable district-level information is not readily available on the Panchkula website.Citizen groups say the issue goes beyond poor website maintenance.“The absence of updated crime statistics also raises questions about transparency. A comprehensive update of the website, including emergency numbers, cybercrime advisories, Pocso information, accident data and district crime statistics, would make it far more useful to citizens,” said SK Nayar, president of the Panchkula Citizens Welfare Association.When contacted, DCP Aditi Singh acknowledged the issue and said, “It should be updated and I will get the matter checked.”
