Kochi police plans to strengthen policing
By co-ordinating with residents' associations.
Kochi: The Kochi City Police has decided to strengthen policing by co-ordinating with 840 residents' associations under its jurisdiction. A monthly meeting of the respective association and the local police station will be held to identify “key issues” starting from April. “Every police station will hold such meetings. A district level meet involving senior officers will follow once in awhile. The system will be such that key issues will be identified and the officers concerned will inform the next meet the actions taken,” said P. Vijayan IPS, inspector general (Kochi Range) while addressing the ‘City Conclave 2017’.
Besides representatives of over 800 associations, members/councilors of locals self-governments, auto-taxi drivers' unions, private security agencies, private bus employees' associations, two-wheeler clubs and childLine volunteers attended the conclave. Meanwhile, the police will conduct a survey as part of its attempts to prepare a list of “easy target victims” such as the elderly staying alone. “The exercise will be held in five police districts including Ernakulam City, Ernakulam Rural, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki.
“Police beats will be rescheduled in such a way to frequently cover areas where such vulnerable people reside in large numbers,” the officer said. Noting that the biggest menace currently faced by Kochi city is the use of illegal drugs, especially youngsters, the IG said the cops would soon launch an anti-drug campaign. “The social justice department along with the police has launched a new initiative ‘Our Responsibility to Children’ to resurrect those children who got addicted to drugs and other vices," he said.
“Volunteers from residents associations will be part of the initiative to provide information such as drug supply around schools,” the officer said. Meanwhile, all stations in the state will adopt ‘Janamaithri’ community policing within a month. In Kochi City, a total of 400 CCTV cameras will be set up in four months, for which Rs 1 crore has already been sanctioned.