Safety of women is the top priority of the new Karnataka police chief, R.K. Dutta, who took over as the 33rd Director-General and Inspector-General of Police on Tuesday.
After speaking about how effective patrolling and proactive policing can help reduce crime against women, Mr. Dutta noted that instead of waiting for complaints to be filed, the police should initiate suo motu action in such cases.
“Prompt action will only instil confidence among the general public,” he said. “Bengaluru is not only the IT capital, it is also an important city. Incidents like the alleged New Year molestation draw the attention of the whole world to Bengaluru, and also put the police force in bad light.”
Prior to this, Mr. Dutta was Special Director, CBI. When asked about why he was passed over as Director, CBI, for which he was a strong contender, he said that postings were the prerogative of the government.
The new police chief aims to make the State force a lean and effective policing machine. This, he said, could be tackled with the restructure and re-organisation of the police force from the grassroots level.
Changing the image
He also hinted that he would revamp the police system by reorganising defunct divisions with the aim of changing the image of the force. “In the last 35 years of my service, I’ve noticed that people’s perception about the police has remained the same. There are demands for cases to be investigated by the CID and the CBI, and even the SIT. This is because people have no faith in the police. We have to work hard to regain their faith.” Stressing the need for proactive, sensitive and transparent policing, Mr. Dutta said that with these three keywords as their mantra, the police can work effectively and maintain law and order.
“As much as 80% of the police force comprises junior-level officers who play a key role in the force. The senior officers should treat junior-level officers responsibly and make them accountable. “Make your police station strong with proactive policing through local intelligence,” Mr. Dutta advised the police.
