Welcoming the public initiative to be ‘Friends of Police’, Superintendent of Police V. Baskaran said their role would be immensely useful and commendable to society.
Addressing a large gathering of students and residents, he said with rise in population, problems were growing everywhere. While a majority of them could be solved then and there, any neglect of the issues would lead to unwanted conflicts.
On such occasions, the Friends of Police (FoPs) could play a pivotal role in bringing peace instantly. A call to the police or any specific officer would be vital, Mr. Baskaran said and added that most of the problems were either petty or personal in nature.
As for road accidents reported in the district, the SP said rash and negligent driving, drunken driving and lack of sleep were major factors. While educational institutions and service organisations came in handy in educating road users, the government too, through Road Safety Week, disseminated about the need to follow rules.
Further, Mr. Baskaran said the district police had purchased gadgets such as breath-analyser, speed radar guns and planned to install more mobile barricades and put up CCTV cameras at vantage locations.
The FoPs were also told about their role on how to handle emergencies in the event of a road accident. Similarly, police officers from the law and order wing also shared inputs expected from FoPs. The cell phone numbers of police stations, Inspectors and DSPs were shared with the members. The FoPs were told to download the App of the emergency vehicle service operator - 108 - as it would help in identifying the location of the caller and rush the vehicle to the spot.
As many as 357 men and 180 women participated in the meeting. Both men and women police officers from various police stations and sub-division were present.
