Guwahati, March 17: Assam police are banking on a police-public-technology (PPT) formula to provide faster aid to people in need of police help and improve its functioning.

As part of the initiative, a GIS/GPS-enabled Dial 100 project was launched today at the police control room in Ulubari here for city residents.

The police are planning to extend the service to other towns of the state.

“We have to take the help of the latest technology to cater to the problems being faced by rising population and limited police manpower. We hope police-public-technology initiative will help us reduce our response system and enable us prevent crime and help people. We are now installing systems like CCTV and other technology to enhance capacity of functioning of our police forces in the city,” director-general of police Jayanta Narayan Choudhury said.

Dial 100 is an integrated project where 26 police vans are connected with the GIS/GPS technology at present and can be located fast and communicated through very high frequency communication system to assist people in distress in about 15 or 16 minutes.

A person in need of police help now can dial 100 and call up the police control room and the receiver will automatically inform the nearest police van and send police personnel to tackle the emergency.

“We will gradually try to reduce the response time,” the DGP said.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi launched the Dial 100 project from his official residence via video link. “This quick response system will help people of Guwahati and we want to extend the service to other towns of the state,” Gogoi said.

Started in December 2009, Dial 100 is being implemented by Inter Act, a US-based company.