Chennai police introduce feedback system to monitor complaint handling and investigations - The HinduPublished - November 07, 2026 07:46 pm IST - CHENNAIThe Greater Chennai Police (GCP) has introduced a feedback mechanism to strengthen accountability at police stations, assess how Station House Officers (SHOs) and inspectors handle public complaints, and monitor the progress of investigations. The initiative, introduced in the jurisdiction of the Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP), South Zone, is aimed at making police response more sensitive, professional, and accountable.Under the system, complainants who have registered a Community Service Register (CSR) petition or a First Information Report (FIR) are contacted by staff from the JCP’s office three days, or 72 hours, after the complaint is registered. They are asked whether they were treated respectfully at the police station, how they rate the response of the inspector or sub-inspector concerned, and whether they are satisfied with the enquiry conducted into their complaints.The feedback provides senior officers with an independent assessment of the complainants’ experience and helps identify shortcomings in complaint handling, police conduct and investigation.JCP, South Zone, P. Vijay Kumar, said the system had been introduced on the instructions of Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A. Amalraj and had been well received by the public. The findings had been forwarded to the Deputy Commissioners of Police of Adyar, T. Nagar, and St. Thomas Mount for review and corrective action.“The recommendations include making multiple callback attempts at different times, sending automated SMS and WhatsApp reminders, and verifying complainants’ mobile numbers at the time of registration. Police station inspectors have also been asked to personally review negative feedback and ratings of five or below and take corrective action within 48 hours. The zone has set a target of bringing the unanswered call rate below 20%,” he said.As part of the initiative, the South Zone has released its ‘Station Sensitivity and Professionalism Rankings’ for late October 2026 based on feedback collected from complainants who approached police stations on October 29 and 30.Of the 215 complainants contacted, 129 (60%) responded to the follow-up calls, while 86 (40%) did not answer. Among those who responded, 126 expressed satisfaction with the police response, translating into a positive feedback rate of 97.7%. None reported disrespectful treatment or demands for bribes. The average rating given to investigating officers was 8.88 out of 10.Published - November 07, 2026 07:46 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }