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The popular instant messenger, WhatsApp, is turning out to be the police’s best tool for promoting community awareness. Police people are sending WhatsApp alerts to put off mugging incidents.
The jurisdictional police put J.P. Nagar residents in Bengaluru in high alert by sending alerts warning them not to fall to deceptive sales persons, whereas most people use WhatsApp to share casuals and jokes.
WhatsApp - Instant messenger
The WhatsApp messages from J.P. Nagar station inspector S.K. Mahajan said that a group containing three to four people could visit houses. They claim that they are representatives of a water company and could offer to change taps and bulbs.
The message that was circulated widely in the area through WhatsApp said, “They are robbers and mug residents at gunpoint. Please alert your contacts as you may save a life. Make sure the door is locked all times, use door chain always.”
People expressed their happiness over such alerts, especially the senior citizens so that they will be able to avoid harmful incidents. They felt that WhatsApp became a convenient way to alert people.
“As prevention is better than crime, through the WhatsApp service we are keeping our area safe,” Mr. Mahajan said
Eight hundred million people around the world use WhatsApp to communicate, its owners, Facebook, revealed.
-Sumana
