Kathmandu, April 29

Nepal Police has stepped up the process of recording crime cases digitally in its Crime and Criminal Information System database.

According to the Crime Investigation Department at Nepal Police Headquarters, it has been working for digital recording of old data where 54 officers in 27 computer works stations are uploading the digitised information on CCIS. In addition, 67 police units across the country  are also uploading crime data on CCIS. Total number of crimes recorded in CCIS till December 1 is 323,155, it informed.

The CCIS functions as a central criminal database. According a senior official at the CID, the database will provide all its units with instant and direct access to criminal information to identify any absconding suspect or convict. It will also contain information about persons released after doing time in jail and those released on a general date.

Till date, one police unit should write to all or any of its counterparts for arrest of a crime suspect or absconding convict. Once the database comes into full operation, the concerned district police office or investigators can arrest anyone on the basis of information available on the database, said a senior police office at the CID. It will also help police ascertain the identity of a target subject in a simple, easy, accurate, timely and scientific manner.

The CID will also collect fingerprints of persons on the basis of citizenship certificates they acquire from district administration offices and create the database for identification of anyone who is involved in crimes and is convicted.

The database is expected to enhance the criminal justice system in the country. Various tiers of courts are yet to recover billions of rupees in fines from convicts and execute over 100,000 years of jail terms handed down to them, according to statistics released by the Supreme Court.

According to the CID, it is also working on a Central Database System where everything related to registered crime case files are documented electronically. It said it had imparted Case File Digitisation training to 150 police personnel for that purpose. The total digitised cases till November 30 is 21,986.

Officials said the CID was also planning to develop a robust evidence-based crime investigation procedure through the incorporation of intelligence and scientific technology under its Crime Action Plan.