Police Commissioner P. Sivanandi on Sunday directed police officers and personnel to avoid using cellular phones while on duty following complaints from the public.
When contacted, Mr. Sivanandi said that public, complainants and petitioners have pointed out that officers and personnel were continuously using cell phone making people wait endlessly. “A particular petitioner who was diabetic was made to wait as the Station House Officer/Inspector kept on making and taking calls. The petitioner, who sought the attention of the officer, was shouted down.”
“This had been noticed not just among officers and is quite prevalent among the Sub-Inspectors, Head Constables and even police personnel in other ranks”. The worst was the practice of traffic police resorting to use of cellular phones while on duty.Hence, instructions has been issued to officers and personnel that on entering the station they should switch off their cell phones and for urgent communication they could use the landline phone and for emergency the VHF wireless.
Intelligence sleuths have been deployed to ensure compliance and violation of the instruction would be dealt with severely. Officers while leaving the stations for the field could switch on their mobile phones.
Mr. Sivanandi said that the instruction is only aimed at ensuring good for the public visiting police stations.
