'Nagaland police can tackle cyber crime'

[caption id="attachment_253928" align="aligncenter" width="600"] PB Acharya along with resource persons and participants of a seminar at Raj Bhavan in Kohima on Monday.[/caption] Our Correspondent Kohima, June 10 (EMN): The state’s police force is ‘well-equipped’ to address cyber crime or other related offences in the state, according to a top police officer. Speaking at a “one-day media seminar on social media” at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima on Monday, Inspector General (Range) Nagaland Police, Sonia Singh said: “We are in a very much position to nail the culprit (in cases related to cyber-crime).” The seminar was organised by the North East Press Service (NEPS). According to her, the police were in constant touch with the service providers. “Nagaland is a state where a lot of cyber crime is happening,” Singh said. She warned people against circulating fake news and information saying that the creator as well as those spread fake news in social media were equally liable to be punished by the law. While asking people to use social media judiciously, she urged them to respect others’ privacy. Social media is not a platform to air one’s fears, emotions, vengeance, revenge etc., she added. Speaking on the topic ‘Police-citizen communication in the social media age’, the police officer said that social media is an ‘important forum to connect with the citizens.’ It helps in building citizens’ trust by sharing with them what police are doing, she said. According to her, youngsters should be aware about the new laws, amendments, advisories, rules being passed in the country. Unless one knows the rules and regulation, it is difficult to change things, she added. “Active participation is a must for change. For the police are ready to serve but we also need your coordination,” Singh said. Though there is a “huge difference” between traditional media and social media, both must go side by side, she said. According to her, social networking sites, particularly Twitter, have been of ‘great help’ to the police department in the state. Taking the example of the Tourist Police, she said they could connect and help a lot of domestic as well as foreign visitors during the Hornbill Festival last year. Also speaking at the seminar, Governor PB Acharya said ‘any new innovation should be taken as a blessing.’ The governor felt that social media is a ‘great blessing’ provided one knows how to use it. Rather, all form of media including print, broadcast and social media are supplementary to each other, Acharya said. He said that one should not be scared about the “bad things of social media” but use it as a means to empower the society. Running away from the problem is not a solution, Acharya said. Speaking about the importance of knowledge, he said society could progress only where there is education. And one’s education and knowledge should be applied to address the problems of the society, he added. The president of Nagaland Press Association, H Chishi spoke on the topic ‘traditional mass media and social media.’ The advent of the new media has “badly affected” print media to the point that it has started “slashing” print media houses, he said. ‘The publication and circulation have come down. To some extent print media is suffering,’ he said. Traditional mass media has passive consumer participation while social media has active consumer participation with a wide range of viewers, readers etc., said Chishi. “The former is a message-driven while the latter is a conversation-driven.”