Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan onTuesday formally launched the Cyber Division of the Kerala Police.
Various wings that have been focussing on the prevention of cybercrimes, including the Kerala Police Cyberdome, have come under the new division. Led by the Inspector General in charge of cyber operations, the division will operate with 465 personnel who have been redeployed from various branches of the police force.
The cyber division will comprise several wings for research and analysis, training and capacity building, cyber patrolling, intelligence gathering and investigation. Cyberdome, the technological research and development centre of the Kerala Police, will function under the research and analysis wing. The division has been created by redeploying redundant posts and some others in the Armed Reserve Police.
Emphasising the relevance of a separate division to handle cyber crimes, Mr. Vijayan said the State recorded a cumulative loss of ₹201 crore through online scams last year.
State Police Chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb pointed out the number of complaints received through the cyber helpline 1930 rose from 5,642 in 2021 to 23,888 last year. The police had registered 2,998 cases last year, a significant rise from the meagrely 20 cases that had been registered in 2021. The Kerala Police had also taken down 1475 websites and 188 mobile applications last year through cyber patrolling.
The Chief Minister added that the launch of the new division will also herald structural changes within the police force. Among the cyber police stations that functioned in each district, only that in the capital district used to be spearheaded by an officer in the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP). The cyber police stations in Kochi and Kozhikode too will have DySPs as station house officers and they will be assisted by three inspectors each. Moreover, the staff strength in cyber police stations are set to increase.
There will also be a new mechanism under the Range Deputy Inspectors General of Police (DIGs) to gather information through cyber patrolling.
The function also marked the commissioning of surveillance cameras installed in 520 police stations, and the inauguration of the Traffic Safety System and Command Centre in the Armed Reserve Camp in Thiruvananthapuram, and other police buildings in other districts.
The officers of the Kuttippuram police station in Malappuram that had been ranked ninth best in the country by the Union Home Ministry were felicitated on the occasion.
Antony Raju, MLA, presided over the function. Additional Directors General of Police Manoj Abraham, M.R. Ajith Kumar and H. Venkatesh were among those who participated.
