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Police station blues vanish amid genial men in blue
People of Kuppam town, constituency of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, these days get the feeling of having walked into a plush corporate office if they happen to visit the local police station, thanks to the ongoing image makeover of police stations in the State.
Tirupati: People of Kuppam town, constituency of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, these days get the feeling of having walked into a plush corporate office if they happen to visit the local police station, thanks to the ongoing image makeover of police stations in the State.
The corporate style interiors and flashy exterior ambience, accentuated with big glass walls and glazed tiles, invite people into a pleasant atmosphere. This is even more important for those who come seeking the help of the police.
With the objective of introducing ‘friendly policing’ the Police Department in the State has been taking steps to gradually bring about a rapid change in the overall image of the existing police stations. The Chief Minister inaugurated this model police station on July 21 during his visit there. This is the second such police station in the State, after the one at Nagarampalem (Guntur District), which was opened early this year.
Mirroring noteworthy friendliness, the staff at the police station do not wear the usual khaki uniform. They can be seen sporting a navy blue trouser and a light blue shirt. They wear the ID card around their neck and cheerfully receive all visitors.
Unlike the regular police, the staff at model police station do not have any hat on their heads. The air-conditioned police station does not have a lock-up for detainees. Alternatively, it has a room designated as custody, which is air-conditioned and even has two beds. Modern furniture, computers, dormitories for relaxation are some of the other amenities.
This model police station was built within 40 days, involving an outlay of Rs.1 crore. The primary aim of launching such police stations is that people should no longer find police personnel to be those who have rough attitude, indulge in harsh talk, and hand out age-old punishments. According to a police official, these traits were inherited from the British.
Instead, model police stations are designed to function like a corporate entity with paperless work, giving a solace to visitors with their friendly attitude. Sleuths present give them confidence, instead of scaring them with their attitude and the atmosphere there.
Although the staff do not wear khaki uniform while in the station, they do wear it while going out on duty or for investigation. The staff are trained in computer technology and the complainants get computerized acknowledgement only.
Two more model police stations may come up soon at Sri Rangarajapuram and Chittoor One Town in the district. Sri City will get hi-tech police station, which would be far superior to the model police stations, according to Chittoor Superintendent of Police SV Rajasekhar Babu.
He said the “feel good factor” of the people who come with any grievance was the main attraction of the model police stations. “The public is appreciating the concept very well. When people enter the Police Station with various grievances, it is important to receive them well in a friendly ambience and the model police station brings this friendly policing,” he observed.
By V Pradeep Kumar
