Kolkata, July 21 (IANS) Kolkata Police has joined the country’s ‘Cri-MAC’ (Crime Multi-Agency Centre) network to strengthen its search for criminals, a senior officer said on Monday. This will make it easier for the force to track down offenders even if they flee to other parts of India. Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, has directed officers to join the network.
Cri-MAC is a secure, web-based digital platform launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020 to share crime and criminal data. Managed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), it serves as a central hub for real-time, 24×7 information sharing among law enforcement agencies nationwide.
According to the officer, police and intelligence agencies exchange information about crimes and criminals through Cri-MAC. Often, there is a communication gap between state police forces and central agencies. To bridge this, Kolkata Police officers have been asked to use the network regularly.
On behalf of Lalbazar, Deputy Commissioners and police station officers have been instructed to log in using ICJS (Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System) credentials. They must access the Cri-MAC portal at least once a day, or more if necessary. The portal allows officers to send messages to multiple recipients and retrieve information using the ‘Search Option’.
Lalbazar has directed every police station officer to use the portal. Through it, Kolkata Police can contact officers at any police station in the country when required, enabling them to gather information related to the investigation of major cases.
This system will help arrest interstate criminals and identify offenders hiding either in Kolkata or outside the state. If police in another state recover evidence from criminals, the information can be shared instantly, aiding investigations. National-level alerts will also be accessible through Cri-MAC.
–IANS
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