Recently-appointed Twin City Commissioner of Police Rajendra Prasad Sharma on Saturday emphasised on public policing and soft skill training for police personnel in order to change their attitude and behaviour towards common men who come to police stations for help.
"We are trying to make the police proactive at all levels as sometimes the police act reactively which is not appreciable. The IICs are directed to behave well with people," said Sharma, adding, "We will impart specialised orientation programmes for police staff by hiring good professionals."
The Commissioner said he is specially focusing on security of women and senior citizens in the city. The police have increased communication with these two groups by holding meetings with them during last three days. On crime control, he said the police follow the zero tolerance policy to make the city free from all criminal activities.
"If we fail to check a crime from its inception, it will embolden the criminals further," said Sharma, adding, "So, we have started using preventive laws and taking all measures to control such activities." Sharma said the Commissionerate Police have renewed the Police Control Room (PCR) system and modernised the existing PCRs recently. Police patrolling would be increased in night hours as well as sensitive hours. "We have introduced beat patrolling in Bhubaneswar, which will also be introduced very soon in Cuttack," he said.
He said the police would motivate youngsters and other people not to indulge in public drinking near liquor shops. The police would make surprise visits to the shops to check this open bar system and examine the closing time of the shops. On CCTV camera, Sharma said a sum of Rs 3 crore has already been sanctioned in the first phase to instal 100-odd CCTV cameras at 22 places in the capital. A central control room would be set up to operate and track the happenings.
On activity of gangsters and their arms trading, the Commissioner said the police would make a special drive to bust the gangs. During the drive, they would check the illegal manufacturing units of firearms, he said, adding, "Now the special squad is continuously working to arrest the gangsters." He stated that the police are using breath analyser to test drunk drivers and are giving emphasis to control minor crimes which become big in later days. "We can't solve the problem overnight, but we are committed to make sincere efforts to check criminal incidents in the twin city," he said.
Sharma said that the Twin City Police are facing a severe crunch of manpower, especially inspectors. They need more PCR vans to strengthen beat patrolling, he added. The Commissioner revealed that they would inform the Police Headquarters to fill up vacant posts and would also request the State Government to create specialised units like Special Task Force, Economic Offences Wing and Cyber Crime cell to check technology-related crimes.