Made at zero cost by ASP Navdeep Aggarwal, tool aims to make patrols smarter

Nagpur: In popular Bollywood lore, police often arrive after the crime — “sab hone ke baad police aati hai.” But what if law enforcement could foresee where crime might strike next and reach before it happens? That vision is inching closer to reality in Washim, where the district police have launched an innovative artificial intelligence-driven system, Smart Prahari.

The AI-based platform, conceived and engineered entirely by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Navdeep Aggarwal, represents a move towards proactive policing. Unveiled on November 12 by Superintendent of Police (SP) Anuj Tare, the initiative places Washim among the nation’s early adopters of AI-enabled policing tools integrated into routine field operations.

Built without any financial expenditure, Smart Prahari blends artificial intelligence, open-source geospatial systems, and mobile-based technology to transform standard patrolling into strategic, insight-driven deployment. “If a beat officer could begin duty already aware of specific lanes where criminal activity is more likely — not based on guesswork but on structured analysis — patrols become significantly more effective,” Aggarwal said and added, “Smart Prahari converts raw crime data into meaningful, on-ground direction.”

Aggarwal drew inspiration for the tool during an artificial intelligence module at IIM, while his engineering foundation from BITS Pilani helped him execute the technical framework. Leveraging freely available digital tools and coding support from platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, he built the system’s architecture and machine-learning workflows independently.

According to him, Smart Prahari studies past incidents and contextual factors to highlight potential hotspots. The software then recommends patrol paths that update dynamically with new inputs — functioning like an intelligent navigation guide that anticipates threats rather than simply mapping locations.

To ensure compliance with constitutional and privacy standards, the application anonymizes all data before processing. The smartphone interface equips officers with live, data-supported alerts, improving presence, response capability, and preventive monitoring.

Aligned with national efforts such as Digital India and the Safe Cities Mission, Smart Prahari demonstrates how ethical, cost-free, and scalable technology can elevate policing efficiency — setting a precedent that other districts may soon replicate.