BHUBANESWAR : Twin city Commissionerate of Police in the eye of the storm over the alleged assault and harassment of an army officer and his fiancee in police custody, its newly-appointed chief Suresh Dev Datta Singh on Monday said complainants will be treated as guests from the moment they step into a police station.
“Ours is a service organisation and all attempts will be made to treat people visiting the police stations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack as guests,” Singh told The New Indian Express.
Without referring to the allegations levelled against the army officer and his fiancee of misbehaving with cops in Bharatpur, the new Commissioner of Police said there may be a few instances when some unruly people visit police stations, but there are certain rules to deal with them.
“Even if unruly complainants visit a police station, they will be treated as guests and their grievances will be promptly looked into. Though it may take some time, police’s public-friendly behaviour will be enhanced further,” he said.
On being asked whether any etiquette training will be provided to the cops, Singh said he will workout a plan in this regard and decide if any existing orientation programme should be rerun or a new one implemented.
As the job of police is strenuous and the cops also have their personal responsibilities, their orientation will be planned accordingly and if required, help of experts will be taken, he said.
An officer of the 1998 batch, Singh said his other priorities will be to ensure safety and security of citizens, especially elderly people and women. As Bhubaneswar has emerged as an education hub in recent years, utmost importance will be given to the security of students arriving in the city from different parts of the state and the country.
Efforts will also be made to prevent all types of offences. If a crime takes place, steps will be initiated to detect it at the earliest, said Singh who took over charge from outgoing CP Sanjeeb Panda on the day.
After assuming charge, Singh said the immediate challenge is to ensure that the upcoming Durga Puja passes off smoothly in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Discussions will be held with all the stakeholders concerned and adequate arrangements made so that citizens do not face any inconvenience during the puja, he added.
