The police have been trying different methods to make the image of its personnel and stations more people-friendly, and the latest on that front is the introduction of a feedback form for those visiting the Bandepalya station in the South East Division.
Launched by inspector Rajesh L.Y. in February this year, the police are hoping that it will help to redress issues and resolve the problems of the people without delay.
The police said many people who come to the station have lots of apprehensions. “Through this initiative, the person will not only be directed to the officer concerned to handle the issue without delay, but the feedback form will also have details of waiting time taken to meet the officer, the name of the officer the visitor met, what kind of treatment he or she received, the time taken to resolve the issue, etc,” said the police.
The form also asks the visitor to rate the officer s/he met on a scale of 1 to 5 and comment on the experience of the visit, mentioning the name of the officer and rank. The form is then analysed by the station house officer to take steps to improvise and reward the officials suitably.
Its all started when a friend of a police officer, who visited the station, discussed about how the police in other stations made him run around for two days to register a bike theft case.
He asked the officer why they could not do something to provide immediate help to the victims who rush to the station in emergency. The discussion gave an idea on the feedback form for self appraisal.
The idea of the feedback form was discussed with the staff before it was launched in February.
Based on the feedback and ratings, the station will have a “fortnight star“, where a photo of the personnel who got the highest rating will be put up on the ‘wall of fame’. This is to motivate others to treat the visitors and help them in all possible ways.
People who have visited the station have put it up on social media. Raghavendra H.S., part of a city NGO, said: “I was surprised when I visited the Bandepalya police station to raise a complaint. Feedback was collected from me in a form. It’s interesting and helps to prevent corruption and build trust in police. This helps for a quick response and prevent undue delays. I strongly suggest that such methods are be adopted in all government offices which helps public at large”.
“The staff members had initial hiccups of adjusting to the system, but now it has become part of their routine. There was competition in the station on to grab the start of the fortnightly title. The complaints and grouses are getting resolved in record time and visitors are happy with the treatment they are getting,” Suryakanth Hatti, a staffer of the Bandepalya station, said.
C.K. Baba, DCP, South East Division, said the initiative will be extended to other stations in the division to improve the quality of the service.
