Soumen Mitra took charge as Calcutta police commissioner on Monday and said more emphasis should be laid on curbing cyber offences because their numbers were rising and the elderly were often their target.

Mitra, a 1988-batch IPS officer, spoke minutes after taking charge as the 43rd police commissioner at the city police headquarters in Lalbazar on Monday.

“The crime pattern has changed these days. Cyber crime has become predominant. A lot of elderly people are getting duped,” Mitra said.

Metro has been reporting how an increasing number of Calcuttans — many of them elderly — are being duped into sharing their banking details and debit card details. They are also made to download mobile applications that compromise the safety of their phones.

Mitra, who has served as the detective department chief and has overseen the traffic department as additional commissioner, said there was a need to enhance the city police’s professionalism in terms of “better investigation, traffic and higher rate of conviction for all crimes”.

“Apart from the usual things that we do — crime, law and order, VIP security (arrangement), investigation — we will have to enhance the professionalism of the Calcutta police force. During investigation, we will not just focus on the arrest of an accused, but also ensure the culprit is convicted,” Mitra said.

The top cop went around all buildings and departments at Lalbazar on Monday. He is likely to meet senior officers over the next few days.

Mitra said there was a need to work for the betterment of the elderly, weaker sections, women and children and for the preservation of the city's environment.

The 59-year-old officer served as the Calcutta police commissioner during the 2016 Assembly elections. He was removed after a 38-day-stint and sent to the training department of the Bengal police, where he was additional director general for five years.