Citizens demand return of Telangana’s Hawkeye App for safety amid unavailability
Hyderabad: Many citizens have raised concerns over the unavailability of the Hawkeye App, managed by the Telangana State Police, which has seemingly vanished from both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. In response, they are calling for an alternative solution to ensure continued safety for women, senior citizens, and the general public.
The Hawkeye App, praised for its user-friendly interface and critical safety features, allowed users to report incidents such as traffic violations, crimes, and emergencies. Its SOS button was particularly valued for its ability to notify emergency contacts and the nearest police patrol, ensuring prompt assistance in urgent situations.
Team Road Squad’s admin took to X (formerly known as Twitter), tagging the Telangana Police and stating, “Dear Telangana Police, Your Hawkeye App is not visible anywhere on the Play Store and App Store. Please suggest an alternative for citizen safety, senior citizen safety, and especially women’s safety.”
Dear @TelanganaCOPs ,
Your hawkeye app is not visible anywhere in Playstore and AppStore
Please suggest an alternative for citizen safety, senior citizen safety and especially women safety@SheTeamsCyb @hydcitypolice @HYDTP @TG_SheTeams
— Team Road Squad🚦🚴♀️ (@Team_Road_Squad) August 17, 2024
Sri Harsha Tulasi, the Team Road Squad admin, explained to the Hyderabad Mail, “The Hawkeye App has been a crucial tool for various segments of society, especially for women. It includes an SOS function to alert up to five emergency contacts, the nearest police patrol car, and the control room. The patrol cars with iPads receive continuous vibration alerts to ensure swift assistance. I personally used this feature during a friend’s emergency and received prompt help.”
Harsha continued, “The app also offers options to register as a police volunteer, report thefts, and track FIR progress. It provides contact information for every police station and officer. Unfortunately, it is currently not available for the latest versions of Android and iOS, though users with older devices can still access its features. I urge the Hyderabad City Police and Telangana Police Department to address this issue and either restore the app or develop an alternative solution for public benefit.”
Sai Teja, another concerned citizen, said, “The Hawkeye App worked effectively from 2019 to 2023, but now it’s not functioning. We’re unsure whether the issue is due to version incompatibility or recent cyberattacks on police websites. This app was crucial for women’s safety, especially after the Disha incident in November 2019. Its sudden disappearance is troubling, and we need preventive measures.”
Sai Teja added, “The app allowed us to lodge complaints without visiting a police station. I used it multiple times, and complaints were addressed promptly. I urge the police and IT team to resolve this issue and restore the app’s usability.”
Indrani, another user, shared, “I accidentally triggered the SOS function and received an immediate response from the police, who called me back to check if everything was okay. I appreciate the Hawkeye App’s services and request that the police department and IT cell either make the app available again or provide an alternative solution. The Hawkeye App is essential, especially in current circumstances.”
Shoba, another citizen, said, “Currently, I am using the T-safe app. It works fine for travel purposes, but we do not have an SOS service in the app; we need to call 100 for emergencies. However, they are calling me every 15 minutes to check on my travel safety.”
To enhance women’s safety, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy introduced the Travel Safe (T-Safe) service on March 12, 2024. This initiative, dedicated to the state’s residents, focuses particularly on women traveling alone. You can access the T-Safe app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tswomensafety.tsafe.
Citizens are calling for immediate action to ensure that the Hawkeye App’s safety and convenience are not lost, highlighting the importance of having reliable tools for emergency situations.
