The Madurai city police launched the crime and criminal tracking network system (CCTNS) on Friday with an aim to improve efficiency and transparency in the functioning of the police.

The data digitisation of three stations - Teppakulam, Tallakulam and Thideer Nagar - in Madurai City would be taken up in the first phase. It is expected that in six months the data relating to 10 years from all the 17 stations in the city would be uploaded in the system.

The centralised server, which would be connected to a State server in Chennai would have links to the national server.

There are also provisions to store details about missing persons, confessions of criminals, the recovery done by police, the crime pattern of the criminals, the sections registered against them et al. To put it in simple terms, the CCTNS would be a ready reference guide for the investigation team.

According to a press release, under the 11 five year plan, out of the Rs. 2000 crore earmarked for CCTNS, Tamil Nadu police got a share of Rs. 103 crore towards this project, with a Rs. 10 crore contribution from the State government.

With a total fund of Rs. 113 crore, all the 1,492 police stations in the State would have online connectivity soon. Tiruvallur district was the first to get all particulars stored online, when the CCTNS project was launched last year.