The only way for policing to improve is to become people-friendly, which will also help improve its service and intelligence, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who chaired an annual police review meet on Monday. Earlier in the meeting, he batted for increased use of technology in both crime investigations and prevention.
Sources said that the Chief Minister took the police establishment to task for the recent New Year's eve fiasco, especially the Kammanahalli molestation case. “It was the night of December 31, when patrolling during night time must have been intensified. How could such an incident happen?” he is said to have questioned the cops.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, sources said, took to task Mandya and Ramanagaram district police for their inability to prevent the recent murders of two political party workers despite having prior intelligence.
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He also came down heavily on the Tumakuru incident, where an assistant sub-inspector is alleged to have raped a mentally unstable woman. “We will take severe action against the accused. We have booked a case, arrested him and have ordered the officials to move for his suspension and eventual dismissal too,” he told presspersons.
When quizzed on the promised pay hike for police personnel, he said that while the State government had already granted a partial pay hike, further compensation could be provided only through the wage board. He asked the cops to patiently wait till the budget this year.