Several fake messages do the rounds on WhatsApp. While some are not significant, others could have an impact on law and order.
Considering the impact that such fake messages can have on society, the Tamil Nadu police have started a WhatsApp community broadcast group to dispel rumours and provide information on the activities of the law enforcement department.
Growing membership
Members can just type JOIN and send it to 9498111191 on WhatsApp and they will start receiving the broadcast messages. As on date, there are 10,000 members in the group.
“There are 12 police personnel in the Tamil Nadu police social media team and it is headed by Inspector K. Ambedkar and it is monitored by V. Vikraman, Superintendent of Police, Office Automation and Computerisation,” said a police officer.
The first message that is received upon joining is: ‘Welcome to the official WhatsApp account of TN Police. Please do not report crime here. In case of emergency dial 100. Save this number on your contacts to get regular updates. Help us to serve you better.’
“After this, the members will start getting messages on a regular basis. On normal days, it will be about the good work done by the police. Whenever there are rumours, we will design a poster and post it on the group stating that it is fake,” said the officer.
Free ride scheme
A recent message talked about the police launching a free ride scheme for women at night, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. “It carries the control room number of the Punjab police. But people believed it and started calling the number. We are also combating it through a series of messages stating that it is fake,” the officer added.
The same messages are also posted on Tamil Nadu police’s social media handles. “We are planning to start such WhatsApp community groups at the district level too. So that rumours can be nipped in the bud itself,” he explained.