Hyderabad Police launch AI kiosk ‘SETU’ for grievance redressal

The kiosk has the provision to lodge complaints in nine languages with digital tracking to enhance accountability.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police has launched ‘SETU’, an AI-based smart kiosk, as a pilot project with the objective of identifying the grievances of petitioners at the police station reception and guiding them towards a speedy resolution.

The kiosk has the provision to lodge complaints in nine languages with digital tracking to enhance accountability.

The pilot project was launched at Mehdipatnam Police Station.

To ensure that a common citizen approaching a police station to report a grievance experiences no hesitation or anxiety, the Hyderabad City Police has initiated the innovative technical service, an official release said.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar, who launched the initiative on Friday, said “our policy is to welcome every individual coming to the station with a smile and respect, ensuring they leave with complete satisfaction. Citizens must feel that trust right from the reception counter, which is the first point of contact in a police station”.

The police department has undertaken the innovative initiative to make civic services faster and more transparent through technology, he said.

On the key features of ‘SETU’, police said citizens visiting a police station can express their problems without any language barrier.

Utilizing artificial intelligence, the kiosk digitally records the petitioner’s statement, they said.

The system eliminates the need to wait for long periods at the reception, and the kiosk provides a digital acknowledgement immediately upon receiving the complaint and clearly explains the next steps in the process.

If there is a need for FIR then it will be registered, police said.

Every registered application features a dedicated digital tracking system, and senior officers can easily review the progress of the investigation and the action taken at any stage until the issue is resolved, police said.

The acceleration of the complaint registration process saves time for station personnel, enabling officers to focus more attentively on crime control and investigation, police added.

Sajjanar further said that based on the results of the pilot project at Mehdipatnam Police Station, the ‘SETU’ kiosk services will be extended in a phased manner to all police stations under the jurisdiction.

He urged the citizens of the city to utilise the modern facility and contribute their valuable suggestions and feedback to help make the policing system even more public-centric.