VIJAYAWADA: The Police Commemoration Day which is observed on October 21 every year is an opportunity for the police fraternity and people to salute the sacrifices made by brave policemen who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.
For the welfare of the families of police martyrs, the State Police Department has a number of schemes. This year, Director General of Police (DGP) RP Thakur and Superintendents of Police (SP) of all the 13 districts visited the residences of martyred policemen and gave financial aid to their families. They also gave an assurance of standing by them in the hour of their need.
Keeping in view the various health hazards being faced by policemen, the department gives special attention to their medicare. In collaboration with DEEP Trust, a Hyderabad-based NGO, the department conducted free medical checkup for the benefit of 2,500 policemen and women working with the Vijayawada Police Commissionerate. “As many as 58,333 police personnel from across the State have undergone medical checkup and 78 of them have undergone surgeries,” said DGP RP Thakur.
Apart from medical tests, an amount of `12 crore was paid as ex gratia to the bereaved families of 254 police department officials, including ministerial staff. Also, `176 crore was spent towards disbursement of housing, education, marriage, personal loans and retirement benefits of the police staff. “It’s sad that we have lost 35 police personnel while on duty. From our side, we are doing whatever we can. By meeting them (bereaved families) personally, we are trying to instil confidence in them and assure them that the AP Police will provide them all possible help,” Thakur said.
As part of Police Martyrs Week celebrations from October 15-21, police officials across the Sstate organized an Open House, essay-writing competitions and blood donation camps.On Saturday, Vijayawada Commissioner of Police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao inaugurated a blood donation camp at City Armed Reserve (CAR) grounds where more than 1,000 policemen donated blood.
“We are going to change the image of police among the public. We are their friends and saviours,” said Dwaraka Tirumala Rao. On Sunday, the AP State Police department will hold Police Commemoration Parade at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium in Vijayawada.
For the parade, elaborate arrangements were made at the stadium and police beefed up the security as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is attending the parade as the chief guest. Other ministers and senior police officials will also attend and pay their tributes to the martyrs.
Initiatives for better policing
Cheruva
An open platform for citizens to offer their views on better policing. People can participate in debates and offer their ideas and suggestions to the police. DGP RP Thakur launched the platform on August 31.
Mahila Rakshak and Mithra: To effectively deal with crimes against women, Vijayawada police formed Mahila Rakshak and Mithra teams. The teams will reach out to women in distress and provide counselling and legal aide.
Vruddha Mithra: The teams will exclusively respond to the issues facing senior citizens. They conduct regular meetings with senior citizens in their areas to instil confidence in them.
E-nethra: Over 1,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in Vijayawada. This will help police in intelligent traffic regulation, dealing with crimes and speedy recovery of property and surveillance from the Command and Control Centre.
‘State police using tech to crack cases’
Director General of Police RP Thakur: Andhra Pradesh police are doing a great job in adopting technology in cracking difficult cases with ease. We have rooted out anti-social elements to ensure peace in the State. Every year, we celebrate Police Commemoration Day on October 21 to remember the great sacrifices made by our brave men-in-uniform. The department takes upon itself the responsibility of providing succour to the bereaved families. The initiative ‘friendly-policing’ is yielding good results and people are cooperating with police in solving cases. This has been made possible because of the efforts of constables at the ground level. Compared to last two decades, we can say with pride that we have achieved a lot, particularly in controlling anti-social elements. Now, we are focusing on several other issues. On the occasion of this Police Commemoration Day, the State Police Department pays its tributes to our martyrs.
‘People-friendly policing our motto’
Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, Vijayawada Commissioner of Police: Security of the people and maintenance of law & order are the main concern of the police. People should see the police as their friend and come to police stations without any hesitation to get their grievances addressed. This is the motto of the policing system. The newly initiated ‘Cheruva’ is one of its kind which gives an opportunity to people to share their views on better policing. Giving utmost priority for women safety, the police department has formed Mahila Rakshak teams, which have been successful in cracking down on more than 2,000 eve teasers in the city. We have embarked on the task of making the city safe for women. The duty of policemen is tough and challenging. Many policemen have sacrificed their lives while safeguarding society. Everyone should respect their sacrifices. Youngsters are driving force of the nation and they should join the police department and serve the society.