Meet public everyday for 2.5 hours, CoP tells inspectors

Chennai: In the three weeks since his taking over as city police commissioner, A.K. Viswanathan has been trying to walk the talk with his “citizen friendly policing” which he reiterates time and again.

In the first week, a police inspector was suspended for not filing a First Information Report (FIR) on the complaint of a woman who was relieved of her gold chain. The suspension sent a clear message across the force.

On Monday, the commissioner ordered that inspectors and station house officers (SHO) should be available in police stations every day for two and half hours at least to meet the public. “There has been a common complaint from the public that inspectors are not available at stations,” noted an official statement.

The commissioner and other senior officers concede that police inspectors have workload and other duties, which crop up from time to time.  “But, it’s imperative that the force be more public friendly,” noted an official.

The timings need not be uniform. By and large, Inspectors have been asked to be available in stations from 11 am – 12 30 pm during the day and from 8 pm-9pm, according to a senior police officer.

The process would also be monitored. “If someone fails to turn up. I will get the list daily,” Commissioner Viswanathan said adding that the visitor timings would be put out in front of all police stations and public can make use of the same.

This supposedly public friendly move is the result of an experience during his stint as the commissioner of Coimbatore city. “A common feedback was that even senior officials like Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners can be met, but not the Inspector,” Mr Viswanathan recalled.

Senior police officers noted that in case the both the inspectors in a station are not available due to unavoidable circumstances, a sub inspector on duty could fill the role.