Starting next week the district police office will have four new staff members, all of them women and not from the department. But, they sure are to bring in a change in the way the police listens to grievances, believes Superintendent of Police D.V. Srinivasa Rao.
Speaking to The Hindu , a week after his appointment to the district as the top police official, Mr. Srinivasa Rao says, “the focus will be on arresting corruption and to deliver quality policing services.”
Four women from technical background would be recruited to run the third-party police call centre service. From giving information on the status of complaints, to receiving emergency news, and to noting complaints on erring officials, the centre will function everyday 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Directly under the control of the SP, it will cover complaints relating to FIRs, petitions, passport and traffic services. “This is a first-time concept in a district police office, anywhere in the State,” he says. A trial-run of the programme has been taken up and would be functional by next Monday.
The administration is presently working to publicise the programme widely through posters and pamphlets, so as to reach the many distant villages in the district. Officials believe the idea will cut down travel time, save energy and money, both for the officers and the complainants.
Apart from the centre, the Superintendent of Police promises that he will be available on WhatsApp, to receive information the citizens share confidentially. “Till last week, the WhatsApp account was managed by a Constable, now this will be in my pocket,” he says.
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On ensuring the safety of women in the district, Mr. Srinivasa Rao says the Rakshita awareness campaigns would continue, and adding to it, ‘Damini’- a multi-faceted approach to check increasing crimes against women would also be taken up.
In a period of one year, till June 2017, a total of 721 crimes under various heads were committed against women in the district. And separately, 97 cases were registered under POCSO (Protection of Children against Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.
Citizens in need of any police service can contact the call centre on 9490619440 and the SP on 9100941400 (WhatsApp). “All end-of-the-day reports will be verified by me,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao concludes.