Police chiefs in three Karnataka districts have set up blogs that carry department news, crime reports and all police-related information that the authorities deem fit to be shared with the public. It is a single-window source of police info. for the media. Though the move doesn’t make their functioning any more transparent than the district police chiefs choose to make it, It is a first necessary step towards a more open police administration.

Interestingly, the Udupi police blog allows comments on posts, a feature that is conspicuously missing in  the other two  blogs - Dakshin Karnataka and Chitradurga. A recent post in the Udupi police blog announced the launch of online complaints facility. If a cognizable offence is made out in any complaint received online, FIR would be registered after receiving a signed hard copy of the mail from the complainant.

Interesting, wouldn’t you say. One wonders whether our own Mysore police have any thoughts. Could there be any reason why they wouldn’t want to get online, and get blogging. Mysore is not particularly known for taking initiatives. But here we have a precedent, one too many, in fact, not counting  the Dakshin Karnataka police blog that gave a lead to the other two. If Mangalore pioneers, Mysore is precedent-driven.