Additional DGP (Law and Order) M.N. Reddi spoke to The Hindu after taking over as the police commissioner. Excerpts from an interview:
What are your priorities?
Commitment to safeguard law and order and assure the general public that we will not leave any stone unturned to maintain law and order and keep the crime situation under check. In the backdrop of rape of a six-year old child, the city police will instruct all schools to appoint a teacher as a nodal officer to check attacks on children in any form. The nodal officer appointed by the school would be in constant touch with the jurisdictional police officer.
How are you going to ensure safety of women?
Women safety is the top priority. Those harming women will be dealt with severely. The police will not rest until the situation is tackled effectively. I will ensure that vulnerable spots are identified. In coordination with members of the public, protection for women and children would be ensured.
Plans to tackle the crime situation?
Keeping anti-social elements, habitual offenders and rowdy sheeters under check through basic policing would be enough to control the situation effectively. The key is community policing where we can reach out to the general public and establish cordial relations. Mounting surveillance and taking strict action against habitual offenders and anti-social elements within the framework of the law will reduce the crime rate drastically.
Do you have the manpower to handle the changes due to rapid urbanisation and migration?
The number of staff can never be enough, but for effective policing a good strategy is required. There is no alternative to basic policing — preventive surveillance and intelligence gathering.
How will you pacify people who allege that police refuse to register complaints?
A police officer is duty-bound to register each complaint and provide necessary help to the aggrieved person. There is no alternative. If they are not doing this, they are not doing their job sincerely. Such officers are not required in the department.
There are instances of police officers, especially in the junior rank, being attacked or abused by influential people. How will you protect such officers?
A police officer does not require protection as he/she is empowered by the law. His/her primary duty is to protect society. If he cannot protect himself, he is not fit to be a police officer.
