Citizen-centric policing and leveraging technology for it will be the focus of Praveen Sood, the State’s new Director-General and Inspector-General of Police. Addressing senior police officers soon after taking charge from Neelamani N. Raju, who retired from the post on Friday, Mr. Sood said he looked forward to heading the one lakh-strong police force, besides serving the 6.5 crore citizens of the State.
“It is a big responsibility and Ms. Raju handled it well, in good and bad times alike. I will continue to do that... not alone, but with the support of each one on the police force,” he said.
He added that as DG & IGP, it was his responsibility to look after not just the public, but also the police personnel. “Unless we take care of our police personnel, they will not be able to take care of the public,” he said.
Mr. Sood also said that the police force could not be increased endlessly, and that technology was the answer to making policing better and more efficient. “We have already introduced technology in many cases and that needs to be upgraded. We will also take the pilots that have been successful in different cities in the State, including Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi-Dharwad, and scale them up to the State level,” he said. “An action plan will be drawn up after consultation with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and senior police officers.”
When asked about terrorist activities, he said there would be no tolerance of terrorism and strict action would be taken against those indulging in it.
Among those present when Mr. Sood took over a s the new chief of police were his wife Vinita Sood and daughter Aashita Sood-Agarwal.
