Bengaluru Police maintains law and order post Ayodhya verdict
Bengaluru Police maintains law and order post Ayodhya verdictTwitter via Blr City Police

In an attempt, to keep rising crime in check and improve police system around Bengaluru city, the Bengaluru city police has embraced the latest electronic-Beat system (e-Beat system). Under the guidance of the city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, IPS, the city police introduced the e-Beat system which is aimed at recording the real-time location of beat constables.

Be it ATMs, shops, banks or offices, now the beat police constable can update their patrol locations with a push of a button using the 'Subahu' mobile application with their smartphones. 

Attempt to replace conventional point book

Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar RaoTwitter

Launched by Isha Pant, IPS officer, DCP (South East Division), under the guidance of the city police commissioner Bhaskar Rao, IPS, this new beat system which is set to replace the conventional point book.

So far the beat police personnel signed a point book to register their designated patrolling locations.  But now they can easily scan QR electronic code cards, put up at various public places, with their smartphones. Once the beat constables scan the code, their visits will be automatically recorded in the 'Subahu' mobile application which will update the officer in charge. 

Isha Pant tweet

IPS officer Pant took to her Twitter account and posted, "South East division has come up with a new e-beat system which will help us do our duties more efficiently and transparently. Using technology is the way forward in giving better policing to the people of the Silicon Valley of India."

Monitors activity of beat constables

Shashidhara I D, IP Koramangala expressed that the beat police used to register their designated beat entry in the point book in which the police would write down their entries manually which were ruined due to rain and difficult weather conditions making it inconvenient. With the advent of e-Beat, the job becomes easier and faster. 

IPS officer Pant also added, "There are nearly thousands of beat locations I handle, keeping a tab of the beat police in real-time is difficult at times. With the e-Beat system, the officers in charge can easily monitor the situation even if they are away for work." 

How does e-Beat system work? 

qr code
[Representational Image]Reuters

Unlike the traditional beat system, where the police on the beat had to manually take down notes of their visits, with the new e beat system helps record the presence of a beat constable in a designated area, automatically.

  • The beat police constable needs to scan the QR electronic code cards with the Subahu mobile application.
  • The QR scanners are put up at various locations by the Bengaluru City Police. 
  • Once scanned, the data of the visits are embedded in the 'Subahu' mobile application. 
  • The officers in charge are notified, automatically. 
  • Enables monitoring of the police on patrol duty. 
  • Subahu app also sends an update to the proprietor of a business to inform that the police has completed patrolling of their location.
  • The update to the owner is sent along with the details of the beat police personnel. 

Sudhir M Hegde, ACP, MICO Layout Sub Division said that the electronic beat system will make constables more accountable to the developments in their area. They will be able to monitor activities and respond quickly in crime-prone areas and the data recorded in the app could be directly verified by the officer in charge.