The Mangalore police have started a first-of-its kind blog to share information with both the public and the media.
BANGALORE: Accountability and accessibility may no longer be a mere political jargon used at election campaigns.
To disperse information about recent findings and criminal cases, the police department of Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district last month started a blog — www.spdk.blogspot.com
A first in the country, the blog has been the initiative of B Dayananda, the district superintendent of police. It started with the idea of giving the media and public access to police related information.
"I created the blog and showed it to a few journalist friends here and with their feedback made some more changes before launching it officially," Dayananda, told DNA. Some of the details given on the blog, updated almost on a daily basis, include a drug bust and coverage of the recently concluded panchayat polls.
The site features Kannada and English fonts, to make the blog user-friendly and accessible. According to the SP, the initial plan was to help save time and resources involved in informing the media about cases and developments.
However, after the launch, even the public has responded well. "The routine process followed in issuing press releases is cumbersome. Drafting, taking printouts and assigning one motorcycle rider to drop these at newspaper offices becomes a hell of a job. Now with the advent of new technology, we can reach everyone simultaneously.
Even relevant photos are published on the blog," Dayananda adds.
Police staff, working at the computer centre in the station premises, are trained to publish, modify and maintain the blog. Currently though, all matter on the site is being updated by Dayananda himself. Dayananda adds that since the SP is authorised to give information to the press, he didn't require prior permission from higher-ups to start the blog.
"There was no difficulty in going ahead with the blog idea, officially because the Karnataka government promotes e-governance in administration," he remarks. The SP is hopeful of this trend catching up in the state.
When DNA contacted the higher-up's, Karnataka's Director General of Police B S Sial said he was not aware of the existence of the Dayananda's blog, but said that there shouldn't be any problem with it so long as the blog disseminated genuine information to the public.
Meet the man who started it all
- The the blog has been the initiative of B Dayananda, the district superintendent of police
- Dayananda passed the IPS in 1994. He received BSF commendation for his role in J&K anti-insurgency operations while training
- Started as Asst Superintendent of Police at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district and worked as police chief of four other districts
- Served in the UN Peace keeping mission in Kosovo 2003-04.
- Awarded United Nations medal for world peace keeping
- Received chief minister’s gold medal in 1998
- Dayanand is a sports and computer enthusiast
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