As part of its modernisation programme, the Gujarat police is planning to equip the patrolling vehicles with global positioning systems (GPS).

The police is thinking of having two helicopters for the monitoring of border and coastal areas of the state, State Director General of Police S S Khandwawala said.

He said that with GPS installed in police vehicles, it would become easy to locate a petrolling team nearest to the scene of offence and could be directed accordingly.

"Once the GPS is installed in the police vehicles, their movement could be monitored from the district headquarters," Khandwawala said.

He said that this project will first be implemented on pilot basis in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surendranagar and Rajkot districts.

As Gujarat has a long coastline and international land border with Pakistan, monitoring of the border areas become vital, Khandwawala said.

So the department is thinking of having two helicopters to monitor the border and coastal areas, he said. Sources in the police department said that they plan to prepare a booklet having important mobile numbers of police officials.

The numbers will be given to petrol pump and hotel owners on the highways so that they can inform the police in case of any untoward incident.

Khandwawal said that incidents of crime cannot be brought down without the support of the local people.