On a scale of 5, 5 being excellent and 1 being poor, the Protector asked a cross-section of people how they rate Kolkata Police in terms of their services towards the people of Kolkata. They were also asked for their suggestions. Here is what they shared:
Kolkata Police is one of the police forces of the world which has a rich heritage since the British Era. The personnel of the force are well trained to handle different situations, be it providing security, managing the vehicular trafc or of people during festivities and sports events. So, overall I rate them 4.5 out of 5.
I think the police personnel don’t get their due respect in their line of duty, although this is changing with more community policing programmes being taken up. On the roads, I see trafc police personnel help anybody who is in need of some assistance, be it in crossing the road, helping an accident victim. I have heard stories from my son, who is also in the Kolkata Police Force, where his colleagues have gone to great lengths to normalize a situation. I give our city police a rating of 4 for their seless services towards the citizens.
I rate the cops 2 out of 5. Though they are connecting with the people ever more, but still there are areas where a lot of work is due. Trafc police must deal with offenders more sternly. There are instances when the police have to spare them due to their inuential connections. Due to various circumstances, they face hindrances in performing their duties. This needs mending.
In my opinion, I would give a rating of 4 to Kolkata Police. It is one of the most people friendly police forces in the country. With several community initiatives, the police are connecting with the citizens more. Rapid modernisation is also taking place in the trafc department. To check unruly driving, advanced surveillance cameras and hi-tech body cameras are used among many other things. The Safe Drive Save Life campaign is being extensively carried out by the cops to ensure reduction in the number of injuries and fatalities.
I have immense respect for the police force of our city, Kolkata. They work hard to keep us safe and secure. I am also aware of the community policing initiatives undertaken by them to better connect with everyone. Of them I like Sampark more, because it is very effective as it deals with awareness among people of my age. I rate Kolkata Police a perfect 5.
In my 8 years of stay in Kolkata I have witnessed an overall sound development in the city. The constant inux of modern technology has helped the police in doing their work effectively. Nevertheless, there is always scope for further improvements. For example, there are several road intersections in Kolkata where a trafc signal is utmost required. My salon is close to an intersection on James Long Sarani, Gholshapur. Though it is manned until 9 pm, many accidents occur after that time due to lack of a trafc signal. An automated signal would surely help. Repeated requests by the locals have fallen on deaf ears. I give a rating of 3.
As told to Anirban Saha
