SMCRC: How a Police Lab in Meerut is Still Teaching the World About Smart Policing
Posted by Prof. Kapil Gautam, Department of Information Technology 15 January 2019 As someone who has been teaching Information Technology for over fifteen years in engineering colleges, I’ve always believed that the best tech ideas are the ones that solve real, messy problems on the ground. That’s why the story of Uttar Pradesh Police’s Social Media Command & Research Centre (SMCRC) in Meerut in 2015 intrigued me initially and I keep referring to it in my lectures since I came to know about it in late 2015. What made it even more special was that this impressive innovation was happening right next door in Meerut — barely a couple of hours from Delhi. As a professor teaching in the capital, it felt particularly exciting to witness such a practical and impactful use of social media analytics emerging so close by. Even in early 2019, it remains one of the most practical and inspiring examples of how technology can help maintain peace in a sensitive region. The whole thing star...