Mumbai: While cybercrimes are on the rise in the state, the Maharashtra Cyber police created a Cyber Awareness Calendar to be followed by all police units across the state. They asserted that awareness is the best way to prevent cybercrimes.
According to the calendar, every police unit will have to conduct at least one awareness programme every week like poster competitions, street plays, lectures in schools and colleges and panel discussions on cyber-crimes and the modus operandi used by frauds. It will be implemented from January 1, 2023.
The Maharashtra Cyber officials said they will review the calendar every month and the police will have to compulsorily undertake at least one activity every week unless there are important assignments or tasks.
“Awareness is the key to preventing cybercrimes and we are planning a mega awareness drive while simultaneously going for multi-pronged capacity upgradation,” said Madhukar Pandey, additional director of police, Maharashtra Cyber.
“The units will have to conduct one activity every week and make a note of it in their cyber calendar. We are sure with this drive we will be able to create awareness and eventually reduce cyber-crimes,” said Pandey.
In 2021, 2,883 cybercrimes were registered in Mumbai and this year, so far, the figure has gone up to 3,668 cases. In 2022, 6,638 cyber-crime cases have been registered across the state till now.
As the city is recording the maximum number of cybercrimes across the state, the Mumbai Police have also started training officers, enabling them to effectively deal with the increasing menace.
“Around 220 police officers and constables from 5 specialised cyber police stations are given training on Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) analysis, investigating cases, collecting digital evidence and also probing financial crimes. The training was given by cyber experts like Prashant Mali, Ritesh Bhatia, Manoj Dubey, Sachin Dedhia, Vikrant Pawar and Rohan Yagnik,” said DCP Balsingh Rajput, Cyber police, Mumbai.
The police have also started sending bulk messages, he added. Around 7-8 crores of awareness messages are being sent at a time to Maharashtra residents by various cell companies at our request.
“We have started a movement called ‘Cyber Safe Mumbai’ from December 1 and carried out street plays at various colleges. Our target is 300 colleges, and each play is 30 minutes, wherein we have shortlisted information about 15 cybercrimes and awareness to not get trapped in them. We also have started poster competition in all 3,000 BMC schools in the city and on FM channels,” said Rajput.