The city has a new Police Commissioner in P. Prakash, a 2004 batch IPS officer, who took over charge from G. Sparjan Kumar on Monday. Mr. Prakash, who hails from Coimbatore, was the Principal of the Police Training College prior to his current appointment. He entered service in the Kerala Police as a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Kochi.
Priority
“My priority will be to strengthen basic policing and its various aspects including law and order, crime detection and prevention, and traffic enforcement,” he said. On being entrusted with law enforcement close on the heels of a spate of violent political clashes that rocked the city, Mr. Prakash said strong and impartial action would be taken against those indulging in anti-social activities.
“I intend to motivate the police personnel down to the level of the civil police officers. Goondaism and such criminal activities will be dealt with strongly,” he said.
He added that the efforts that were made by his predecessors in reining in drug proliferation would be maintained with utmost importance.
Earlier assignments
He went on to serve as Kasaragod District police chief, Kollam Rural Superintendent of Police, Thrissur City Police Commissioner, Kollam City Police Commissioner, and Assistant Inspector General of Police at the State Police Headquarters, among other positions.
He has also been coordinating the operations of the district-level anti-goonda squads that were formed after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government came to power.
Mr. Sparjan Kumar, who had taken over the mantle as Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner in January 1, 2016, has been posted as the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Internal Security in Thiruvananthapuram.
After assuming office, Mr. Prakash said he considered the posting a great honour and that he would put in his best efforts to ensure professional policing.
