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To review the progress of applications of GIS in police administration and to formulate further strategy for development and management of Police GIS in district Almora, a one day workshop was jointly organized by the Police Administration Almora and the Centre of Excellence for NRDMS in Uttarakhand (COE NRDMS) at the Meeting Hall of the Superintendent of Police Almora January 2010.

About two dozen participants from Police Administration Almora (including Superintendent of Police Almora, Officers of Kotwali and Mahila Thana Almora, Thana Dwarahat, Thana Bhatraujkhan and personnel of Quick Response Team Almora), senior district administrators of Almora (i.e., District Magistrate and Additional District Magistrate, In-Charge NIC Almora); and Scientists of the COE NRDMS, Kumaun University SSJ Campus Almora, participated in the workshop (see Annexure-I for attendance).

Welcoming all the participants of the workshop, Sri Krishan Kumar V.K., Superintendent of Police, District Almora presented a detailed account of the objectives of the workshop. Sri Kumar informed that to sensitize the Police personnel regarding the applications of GIS/GPS technologies in police administration, six months back, a one day workshop jointly with NRDMS Centre Almora was organized at this Department, since that, four constables of different thanas (i.e., Kotwali Almora, Mahila Tanana Almora, Tanan Dwarahat and Thana Bhatraunjkhan) of district Almora were given training on GIS Development at the NRDMS Centre Almora. Sri Kumar also informed that in this workshop all the four trained Constables will made their presentation on Police GIS of their own Thana and thereafter discussions shall be held to formulate strategy for development of Crime and Disaster Management GIS for District Almora. Highlighting the significance of NRDMS Center’s GIS/GPS works, Sri Kumar hoped that with the help of the technical assistance of the NRDMS Centre Almora, they will be able to make use of GIS/GPS technologies in different aspects of police administration specifically in crime control and disaster management.

Sri Vinod Singh Rawat, Scientist, COE NRDMS gave a live demo of installation of GIS software, viz., GRAM++ to the participants and installed the software in the Computer of the GIS Cell of the SP Office Almora which was formally inaugurated by Sri Subadhan, District Magistrate Almora.

The trained (in GIS Development) Police Constables Sanjeet Kumar, Sushila Yadav, Vijya Laxmi and Sanjeet Rana made detailed presentations through power point on the GIS infrastructure of their own thana, respectively, viz., Kotwali Almora, Mahila Thana Almora, Thana Batronjkhan and Thana Dwarahat.

Dr..J.S.Rawat, Director, Centre of Excellence for NRDMS in Uttarakhand and Professor in Geography, Kumaun University SSJ Campus Almora, gave a live demo of the GIS infrastructure of district Almora. During his presentation, Prof Rawat covered spatial distribution of roads (i.e., national highway, state highways, major district roads, minor district roads, village roads, unmatelled roads, roads under constructions and sanctioned etc), villages, police thanas, police chaukees, police barriers, Thana head quarters, health centres, education centres, streams and rivers of district Almora. Prof Rawat also demonstrated that how to fire a quarry for finding quickly the nearest facilities around a particular site? How to find shortest route for reaching the destination? How to draw the buffer zones on either sides of a particular road at desired distance? or on either sides of a particular river?

Apart from these, Prof Rawat informed that during the last six months four police personnel of different thanas of district Almora were trained in development and applications of GIS technologies in their day to day works. Prof. Rawat also informed that Almora is the first district of the Uttarakhand State who has started GIS/GPS in police administration and hoped that with the helped of the trained (in GIS/GPS technologies) police personnel of district Almora, gradually it will be replicated in other districts of the Uttarakhand State. Highlighting the significance of GIS in governance, Prof Rawat said, “after e-governance, the next revolution will be of g-governance, i.e., governance through geographic information science, therefore, it is necessary to all the government officers to update themselves with the latest GIS/GPS technologies”. “The COE for NRDMS objective is to provide assistance to the stakeholders who are willing to adopt GIS/GPS technologies planning/ administration”, Prof.Rawat added.

Sri Subardhan, District Magistrate Almora said that in the age of information technology, knowledge of applications of GIS/GPS is very important specifically for the Police and Vigilance departments. The terrorists are using GIS/GPS technologies very rapidly, therefore, it is necessary to update the Police and Vigilance departments with these technologies, he added. Sri Subardhan did appreciate the efforts of Police Department and NRDMS Centre Almora and said that commendable work has been done in district Almora that entire the Police Department is being made hi-tech with GIS/GPS technologies by the NRDMS Centre Almora. I do hope that the GIS Software with GIS data installs today by the NRDMS Centre at the SP Office Almora, shall bring change a lot in the working pattern and efficiency of the Police Department, Sri Subardhan added.

RECOMMENDATIONS

For development and management of GIS in district Almora, the following recommendations emerged by discussion and consensuses.

1.The database of four Thanas of district Almora, viz., Thana Almora Thana, Almora Mahila Thana, Thana Someshwer and Thana Bhatraojkhan, shall be updated within the next six months, by the concerned trained (in GIS/GPS technology) police personnel of district Almora.

2.Eight Police Officers (two from each Thana) of four Thanas, viz., Sult, Ranikhet, Someshwer and Bhanoli of district Almora shall be given on job training by the COE for NRDMS in Uttarakhand to develop GIS for these Thanas within the next six months.

3.Crime mapping work shall be done for each thana by the Police Department within the next six months. All the technical support shall be provided by the COE for NRDMS in Uttarakhand for crime mapping work of district Almora.

4.The disaster management GIS of district Almora Developed in 2007 shall be updated jointly updated by the Police Department and Disaster Management Cell of Almora with the help of the technical assistance of the NRDMS Centre Almora.

5.To sensitize Police Officers regarding applications of GIS/GPS technologies in police administration, one day workshop shall be jointly organized (by the Police Department Almora and COE for NRDMS in Uttarakhand) at each District Police Head Quarter of the Uttarakhand Sate. The dates of such one day workshops at different district headquarters shall be worked out by the Superintendent of Police Almora.

6.One Police Officer of each Thana of District Almora (total 8) shall be given on job hands on training in Data Capturing through GPS and rout map of each thana for district Almora will be prepared by GPS through these trained police personnel within the next six months. For on job training of Police Officers, identification of trainees (having computer background) shall be done by the Superintendent of Police Almora.

7.A traffic flow map of the Almora town will be prepared jointly by the Police Department and the NRDMS Centre Almora through the trained police personnel and students of MGIST (Master of Geographic Information Science & Technology).

8.A map of road accident prone sites of district Almora will be prepared jointly by the Police Department and the NRDMS Centre Almora through the trained police personnel and students of MGIST (Master of Geographic Information Science & Technology).

9.The on job training of the identified Police Officers shall be done at the NRDMS Centre, Kumaun University Almora, while the updating of Police GIS and Crime Mapping work shall be done at the Police GIS Cell at Superintendent of Police Office Almora.

At the end of the workshop, the Superintendent of Police Mr. Krishan Kumar V.K. extended vote of thanks to all the participants.

Report by - Dr.J.S.Rawat, Director, Centre of Excellence for NRDMS in Uttarakhand & Professor in Geography Kumaun University, SSJ Campus Almora-263601

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