THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Aiming to ensure speedy disposal of complaints, dignified treatment of complainants, and to put an end to custodial violence, the state government will launch the ‘My Police Station’ project on August 15. Terming this the country’s first Police Station-centred revamp of the policing system, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala announced the project at a press conference here on Thursday.
While ADGP (Law & Order) will be the co-ordinator of the ‘My Police Station’ project, the DGP will monitor it and provide a monthly progress report to the government. An independent feedback system will also be deployed as part of the project, with Range DIGs instructed to collect feedback from all police stations under their jurisdiction, evaluate it, and give instructions every month.
As part of the project’s action plan, new SHOs will receive orientation training, while supervisory inspectors above the rank of CI will receive training from DySP. Urging that supervisory inspectors maintain good relations with people, they will also be directed not to exert undue pressure on their subordinate police officers.
Amid increasing cybercrimes like loan apps, they have been instructed to be aware of the changes in the tech field too. While SI training is already completed, training for CIs is ongoing, and that for other police officers will be given in phases.
A system to monitor the number of complaints, FIRs registered, and cases closed, for the DGP to monitor, will also be in place, to facilitate speedy decisions. Changes will also be brought in the police training, the minister said, adding that the DGP is also analysing the syllabus to bring in ideal changes.
As announced earlier, sub-inspectors will be made the Station House Officers (SHOs) in 419 police stations across the state from August 15. The decision was taken in the light of the state police chief’s recommendation that posting sub-inspectors as SHOs will strengthen the competency and decision-making skills of the youngsters recruited into the force.
Meanwhile, circle inspectors will continue to don the role of 64 critically important stations, mostly in cities including Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, and Kozhikode.
Taking into account its crucial nature, the Mullaperiyar Police Station will have the area’s DySP as the SHO, the home minister informed. 63 women SIs will also become SHOs from coming Saturday, Chennithala added. However, the circle inspectors will do the overall supervision and monitoring in 200 circles of the state.
