Cyber help desks to come up at every police station in Kozhikode

Dedicated cyber help desks will be established at every police station in Kozhikode district, following a State-level directive from the Department of Home Affairs. The desks are meant to assist victims of cyber fraud, hear their complaints and set immediate action in motion.

Each help desk will be staffed by three trained police personnel and will function under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioners in charge of the cyber divisions in the respective police districts.

The move addresses a long-standing gap at the station level. Although cybercrime cases are registered at police stations, officers are often weighed down by other casework, leaving little room to hear cyber complaints in detail or act on them quickly. The help desks, planned as part of a State-wide project, are expected to ease that pressure. They have been set up on the recommendations of various cyber police stations.

Designed as independent wings within each station, the desks will focus exclusively on guiding victims of cybercrime. Besides making assistance more accessible at the police station level, the personnel will help complainants report incidents online and register complaints where required.

Acting on instructions from the State Police Chief's office, the desks will also keep complainants informed about the status of their grievances. Cases that need specialised investigation will be referred without delay to the cyber police station, the cyber cell or other departments concerned. Officers manning the desks will route major cybercrime cases to the hi-tech cell or special investigation teams for further action.

Help desk coordinators will receive special training to handle different types of cybercrime and to ensure better follow-up. They will also coordinate cybercrime awareness programmes within their respective police station limits.