Lukewarm response to safety app prompts cops to put up posters

A boy zip lines at Shivaji ground in Thane on Saturday.

As the mobile app, Pratisaad Ask, has not got a good response, the Navi Mumbai police have started putting boards across the city to create awareness.

The mobile app was introduced mainly for the people in distress and safety of women. The police integrated their old mobile app, Citizen Cop, into this a few weeks ago.

The lukewarm response has prompted the police to take the step of putting boards.

“This app is believed to instill a sense of confidence among women. By downloading the app, they will be just a click away to seek police help. It gives the exact location of the distressed woman and the shortest route to her. However, very few women have downloaded this app in the city and not many are aware of this,” said a police officer from the social media lab.

“More people use smart phones even in the rural areas. There is hardly any youngster who does not have a Facebook or Twitter account. It is sad that despite designing the app so beautifully, people are not taking advantage,” he said.

Dilip Sawant, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said that there is no real-time situation, wherein the police received information from someone on this app and rescued that person.

“When it comes to usage of such technology, we have seen two types of people. Some are ignorant and they hardly have any knowledge about how to use it,” he said.

“The second are overactive and keep sending the same message to us through different mediums such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter,” he added.

The police have mainly chosen public places such as railway stations, bus stands and markets to put the boards.

“We hope the people will learn about the app through these boards and then will download it on their mobile phones,” another police officer said.

PRAFUL GANGURDE