Karnataka CM calls for better coordination among southern states on crime prevention, detection

PTI, Sep 13, 2023, 7:02 PM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said investigative agencies should be one step ahead of criminals and they must prioritise intelligence gathering, coordination, cooperation and targeted actions against terrorist organisations.

Inaugurating the Coordination Conference of DGPs of South Indian states, he appreciated the police forces for their round-the-clock work and said the police should be proactive in preventing cyber crimes since cyber attacks have been increasing in various ways in the past few years and online cheating has become more common.

He said cybercrime not only harms an individual personally but it also poses grave danger to national security. The consequences of cyber attacks can be devastating causing financial losses, reputational damage and even endangering lives in some cases.

The Chief Minister emphasised the use of advanced forensic tools in investigation of cyber crimes is helpful in tracking down cyber criminals and securing the digital evidence needed for prosecutions.

Noting that Karnataka was the first state in India to start a cyber crime police station in 2003, he said that it has CEN (Cyber Economic and Narcotics Crime) police stations in every district of the state to prevent cyber crime.

He said that the police officers of the cyber station have received special training to handle such cases.

”Threat of terrorism continues to evolve, becoming more and more sophisticated and global in nature…Karnataka has faced incidents of terrorism since 1990…Though all cases were detected and proper charge sheets were filed, some ended in conviction and some are still under trial.

”Law enforcing agencies should always be on high alert. Better coordination, intelligence gathering and sharing of information amongst states will be very vital….You must prioritise intelligence gathering, coordination, cooperation and targeted actions against terrorist organisations”, he said.

Addressing the senior officers on various issues of serious concern, Siddaramaiah said internal security issues, which are challenging the foundation of the country and the structure of society, need their full attention and cooperation. He said that unwavering commitment, dedication and duty are expected from the police who are responsible for maintaining law and order, public order and the safety and security of everyone in their area.

The Chief Minister stressed there is a need for constant modification in police tactics. Nowadays, the country is facing threats from traditional criminal activities to the digital sector. The complexities of modern society have also given rise to new forms of crime. Due to this, there is a need to continuously change the police strategy.

He said as law enforcers, they should not only be one step ahead of those who destroy the health of the society, but also should adapt quickly and adopt a new model.

Siddaramaiah appreciated the efforts of the Karnataka Police in drug control by busting international drug networks and nabbing drug peddlers and said although Naxal activities have been curbed in the state, more cooperation is needed between the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu to curb this problem.

The Chief Minister said it is necessary to take action to isolate extremists in the jails, adding, more emphasis is being laid on the use of technology, training and capacity building of the police officers.

Home Minister G Parameshwara and State Director General of Police Alok Mohan were present.

Noting that the conference will help in establishing greater co-operation and co-ordination among the states of South India in crime detection and crime control, the Chief Minister said the criminal world has no borders and so mutual exchange of information, resources and techniques among various states is essential for effective suppression of crime.

While the criminal world has no borders, there should be no borders between the security forces and investigative agencies in curbing it, he added.

”South India poses many challenges in crime prevention due to its cultural diversity, different languages and geography. Drug trafficking, human trafficking, organised crime, cybercrime pose a threat to the peace and security of society and community. As all these crimes operate across state borders, coordination and cooperation between inter-state police teams is necessary to suppress them,” he added.

Siddaramaiah noted that joint operations can help defeat criminals and stressed inter-state coordination will also be a platform for sharing best and innovative models in crime prevention. Each state may have devised a successful model strategy to prevent a particular crime.

State governments should prioritise coordination by conducting joint operational task forces, joint training programmes and meetings between law enforcement agencies, he added.