JEYPORE: With an intention to treat visitors, who come to police stations, in a polite and disciplined manner, all the police stations across Koraput district are being provided with a comprehensive reception desk. And once you enter a police station, you will feel like entering a corporate office with a receptionist who will say, ‘May I help you.’The receptionists, who also happen to be police personnel, are given special training on how to handle visitors and they directly report to the Superintendent of Police. The facility has been established at 11 police stations out of total 21 following a directive of Koraput SP K V Singh.
As part of the initiative, the police stations have been done up with a separate reception section where the visitors are greeted. After listening to the purpose of their visit, the receptionist directs them to the relevant sections and to the officer in-charge (OIC) or IIC. The initiative is aimed at helping the department fight the negative public perception towards police behaviour.
Sources said about 3,000 people, including complainants, visit 21 police stations across the district, while as many as 300 verbal and written complaints come to the stations besides the FIRs. Complainants come with some political leaders or influential people to the police stations to air his/her grievances to avoid rude police behaviour. There are also visitors who wait for hours together to meet the IIC and return empty-handed.
“Earlier, there was no chair for the visitors at the police stations. But now, things have changed with people-friendly police initiatives. The reception desk will help policemen keep track of those visiting the station, so that they can monitor the status of their grievances,” said a senior police officer of Jeypore.
The SP said all the 21 stations across the district will have such reception counters for the visitors to make them feel comfortable when they come in. The district police administration is also closely monitoring the footage of CCTV cameras installed at the police stations to keep a track on police behaviour. The progress in this regard is being reviewed during monthly crime meeting, he added.