CHENNAI: The Tambaram City Police on Saturday launched an AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot, named ‘Tambaram What’sCop’, to make police services more accessible, strengthen public engagement and provide faster assistance during emergencies.
The chatbot is available in Tamil and English and can be accessed by sending “Hi” to 93442 22100 on WhatsApp. Citizens can also access the service by scanning the QR code issued by the police.
Live Location Sharing During Emergencies
One of the key features of the chatbot is the ability for users to share their live location with the police during emergencies.
The service also includes a ‘Track My Journey’ option, designed particularly to assist women traveling alone.
Under the feature, women can register details of their journey and seek police assistance if there are unusual delays, unexpected stoppages or route deviations.
Anonymous Reporting of Crimes
The AI chatbot also allows citizens to report incidents anonymously, including:
- Drug trafficking
- Suspicious movements
- Offences against women
- Public nuisance
- Other illegal activities
The facility is intended to make it easier for residents to share information with the police without necessarily having to visit a police station.
Locate Police Stations and Access Online Services
Through Tambaram What’sCop, users can find the nearest police station and access various online police services.
The chatbot also provides access to services for registering cybercrime complaints and using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal to help block or trace lost or stolen mobile phones.
Traffic Complaints With Photographs and Location
Residents can use the platform to report traffic congestion and traffic violations.
Users can upload photographs along with geo-tagged locations, allowing police authorities to better identify the location and nature of the reported problem.
This feature could help the police respond more effectively to recurring traffic violations and congestion-related complaints.
House-Watch Facility for Residents Traveling Out of Town
The chatbot also offers a security facility for people who are traveling outside the city.
Residents can register details of their locked houses through the platform. The information can then be used by night patrol teams to monitor such premises during their absence.
The initiative is aimed at providing additional security for homes that remain unoccupied for extended periods.
Night Patrol Officer Details Available
Another feature allows users to access the contact details of night patrol officers deployed in their respective areas.
The officers are available for local assistance between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., providing residents with a direct point of contact during nighttime emergencies.
Safety and Legal Awareness Information
Beyond emergency and policing services, the chatbot also provides educational information on:
- Cyber safety
- Road safety
- Drug abuse prevention
- Women’s safety
- Legal awareness
The police hope that making such information available through WhatsApp will help residents access safety-related guidance more conveniently.
Police Urges Public to Use the Service
The Tambaram City Police has appealed to women, students, parents, educational institutions, resident welfare associations and members of the public to make use of the chatbot.
Officials said the initiative is aimed at improving public safety, communication between citizens and police, and the speed of emergency response.
With WhatsApp-based access, bilingual support and AI-enabled services, Tambaram What’sCop represents an effort to use technology to bring multiple police and public-safety services onto a single, easily accessible platform.
