“April is the cruelest month”, wrote T S Eliot about a hundred years back. Did he have, among other things, the Kolkata summer in mind, one wonders! Jokes aside, well into the middle of May, the longing wait for the monsoons just has about begun.
Policing, all over the world, is mostly about reinventing tactics and strategies in tune with the changing times. Kolkata Police is no exception. The newly started“ Kolkata Police Law Institute” is a case in point. The issue of “The Protector” features a piece on the Institute where legal degrees are offered to the police personnel and their wards. The idea is not only to further equip ourselves professionally, but also to bolster career opportunities. No wonder the Institute, barely a few months into the launch, is drawing students in hordes.
If the law classes are about indoors, the outdoor grind of the different wings of the city police continues to yield heartening results. Even as our Special Task Force (STF) recently made us proud by nabbing a few of the most wanted Maoist militants, the Anti- Narcotic Cell of the Detective Department dealt a body-blow to the drug peddling rackets in the city through a series of successful raids over the past couple of months.
The word “Police” evokes a varied array of emotions among the public, the most predominant probably being “Fear.” We want the criminals and law-breakers to fearful of us, yes: but we choose to be friends in need for the citizens we serve. Shedding the fear of the men in uniform among the law abiding people is important, more so with the kids and youngsters who will shape the society and its perceptions in the years to come. “CHILD FRIENDLY CORNERS” have hence been setup in different police stations in the city.
The Kolkata Trafc Police mean while has been relentless in its “Safe Drive, Save Life” campaign across the length and breadth of the city and the results are showing. The observance of the Road Safety Week and sustained awareness drives, coupled with the introduction of DIGITAL SPEED CONTROL SIGNS and SPEED ENFORCER CAMERAS in accident-prone stretches promises to be a game-changer. Road-fatalities have lessened and we remain rm in our resolve to bring it further down. Needless to add, nothing is more precious to us than the safety and security of the citizens of Kolkata.
Happy reading. Please feel free to offer your suggestions as to how we can serve you better.
Rajeev Kumar, IPS
