Bengaluru: The only force in the country chosen to be part of the ‘Twitter Samvad’ – the Bengaluru police is looking at using the service to prevent rumour mongering and also o assist authorities during emergencies and rescue operations in real-time.
Bengaluru police commissioner M N Reddi said,“I am proud that Bengaluru Police is the only police force in the country to be selected by Twitter for ‘Twitter Samvad’ project”
“In many instances, minor issues are blown out of proportion due to speculation – this eventually leads to law and order problems. Internet on mobile phones is not available everywhere. Under these circumstances, the SMS plays a crucial role in transmitting reliable information, downplaying rumors and taking people into confidence,” Reddi said.
Dropping three tweets per day into the accounts of subscribers including those without mobile internet access in the form of SMS, is what the forces intends to do.
With a follower base of over 75,000 on Twitter, the Bengaluru city police’s handle @BlrCityPolice, along with the Commissioner of Police – @CPBLR and Bengaluru Traffic police – @blrcitytraffic are among the 16 Twitter handles selected under the central government’s “Digital Governance Service” project.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s @CmofKarnataka account is also part of the Twitter Samvaad service. “The Bengaluru Police has used Twitter well over the last six months, unlocking the potential of the platform for solving crime and building a real sense of community online. We are quite sure we will be working with a lot of similar organizations soon,” said Raheel Khursheed, Head – News, Politics and Government at Twitter India.
The service details are as follows:
Bangalore City police – @BlrCityPolice – 01130495242
Commissioner of Police – @CPBLR – 01130495141
Bangalore Traffic police – @blrcitytraffic – 01130495464
Siddharamiah @CmofKarnataka – 01130494737?
