That's graphic! Art livens up police station

BENGALURU: If you’re the sort to believe that a visit to the police station is nothing short of harrowing, a trip to Whitefield Police station in Bengaluru might just change your mind. As the cops reach out to the public in their new, people-friendly avatar, the folk at Whitefield Police Station have taken things a step further, bringing colour and good cheer to their premises with murals and paintings. These are done by residents, the police themselves and some international artists, transforming the serious ambience of the police station into one of warmth and accessibility.

The idea began last month, with a proposal to moot public-police partnerships and promote the social concerns that plague Whitefield, from traffic and garbage to safety and security. That’s when the Whitefield police, in association with Whitefield Rising, decided to create a theme-based police station.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Deputy Commissioner of police Abdul Ahad said, “The idea is to make the police more approachable and the station a friendlier place. Along with Whitefield Rising, Whitefield police and city police commissioner T Suneel Kumar, additional commissioner Seemnath Kumar and the station staff all contributed to the wall murals.”

“The hand painted wall murals will continue all the way to the first floor of the station. The main areas like parking and entrance of the station will have different themes. Currently, safety and duty is the theme painted on a portion of the entrance wall.”

The profile of a female constable, Lakshmi, is painted across the entrance wall. The station staff were asked to contribute to the murals and their thoughts were written on the walls, the police official said.

A question scrawled across the wall, “What protects you” had responses from police officers and residents alike. “My uniform protects me,” wrote some, while others say, “My family protects me.”

A senior police official says the theme will change every few months, with issues like traffic and garbage highlighted through colourful art work. The work was led by the highly acclaimed mural artist, Shilo Shiv Suleman, founder of the Fearless campaign.