Police to have real-time data on check-ins at hotels

Police to have real-time data on check-ins at hotels

Madurai City Police have come up with a new software, for installation in the computers of hotels, which will give real-time data on guests who check in at their hotels. The software has been designed by a Pune-based company and a majority of the 240 hotels of small and medium size have registered themselves to come under the new system.

“Usually, the hotels have to submit printouts containing details of their guests who have checked in every day. Instead of getting details once a day in paper form, we have introduced the electronic format which will give real-time data - as and when a guest is allotted a room,” says Commissioner of Police K.S. Narenthiran Nayar.

With the tie-up of the Pune-based company, the city police have convinced at least 220 lodges to buy the software and upload it on their computers at the front office. “The lodges are required to pay a minimal one-time fee which will spare them from taking out print-outs and physically hand them over to police stations,” the Commissioner says.

Deputy Commissioner of Police-South A. Pradeep says the pilot of the new software is going on. However, some of the front office staff, who are used to write details of guests in ledgers, find it difficult to adopt to the new system of feeding details using a computer.

Police officers and designated personnel at the stations who are given the login passwords can view details of people staying in the hotels and homestays.

Under the new system, uploading scanned copies of photo identity card, including Aadhaar, is mandatory. “Earlier, some of the hotels did not follow this practice scrupulously. With the new system, police officers can keep tabs on a good chunk of floating population,” Mr. Pradeep says.