Bhubaneswar, March 10: A mobile-based application launched by police early this year has slowly but gradually become an interactive platform for residents with around 5,000 downloads since its launch on January 15.

The police said that a number of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar residents who are settled in the US, France and Gulf countries have downloaded the app "BBSR-CTC Police" on their smartphones. They have used the app to share concern about their parents staying in the city.

"We have been receiving suggestions regarding intensifying night patrolling in areas with a sizeable number of senior citizens and to curb sale of liquor," said a senior police official.

The app can be downloaded in smartphones from Google play store.

Citizens can also avail several features such as emergency police assistance, women helpline, traffic information and senior citizen security cell merely by clicking the icons.

The app would also enable smartphone users download important forms and lodge complaints against pink auto drivers for misbehaviour and over charging.

While a number of users have appreciated the app, a number of them also suggested it to be made active in offline mode also.

"It is a good and informative app but could have been an offline app with lesser disk space. The main thing that lacks is that you have to be online each time after you download the app to know the information," reads a post from Laxman Kumar Sahoo.

The app now allows one to send emails to police stations at mouse click.

"We would create awareness drive about the facilities that the app provides. They can get the contact numbers of all police stations and make calls to them by clicking the icon," said police commissioner, R.P. Sharma.

He said that not only the mobile-based app, but the Facebook page was also receiving suggestions and complaints on a regular basis.

The Facebook page of the police has already got 12,457 likes.

"Apart from traffic related issues, we have been receiving complaints regarding sale of illegal liquor and other contrabands through our social networking page," said a senior police official.