Tripura launches community policing plan

AGARTALA - Tripura Police Tuesday launched “Prayaas”, a multi-pronged community policing scheme, to reach out to the people, root out crime against women and to flush out terrorism.

“Police would go to people to know and resolve their problems, not the other way round,” Director General of Police K. Saleem Ali said after state Governor D.Y. Patil formally launched the scheme.

“Prayaas would deal with militancy, crime against women, road accidents besides general law and order-related problems,” he said.

Ali, a 1978 batch Indian Police Service officer who has served Tripura for more than three decades, said: “The Tamil Nadu Police first initiated the community policing system 10 years back. For their huge success, the scheme got the British Queen’s Baton.”

Subsequently the community policing programme was initiated in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and a few other states, he added.

Of the total incidents of crime in Tripura, those against women account for 37 percent, and are followed by road accidents.

“Prayaas would provide a platform for 24 x 7 liaisons between police and public so as to enhance mutual understanding between the two and improve the service delivery of Tripura Police in controlling and preventing overall crime, offences against women, road accidents and insurgency as well,” he said.

“The new scheme would transform the stereotyped image of police from a ruthless enforcer to a people-friendly law enforcing agency.”

Under the Prayaas project, each police station area would be divided into several police beats consisting of a specified number of people’s representatives and well-regarded citizens by the police station chief in close coordination with senior officials.

Residents of the locality active in educational and cultural fields and teachers, retired police and armymen, influential traders, NGO representatives, workers and representative of women’s organisations would be included in the beat committees.

These committees would often interact with the Women’s Commission, the Juvenile Justice Board, legal aid cells, blood banks, homes for destitutes, self-help groups, disaster management agencies, Red Cross, the National Cadet Corps, the National Service Scheme, senior citizens’ bodies, and educational institutions among others.