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THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA:
Inspector General of Police, Jaspal Singh said that police officers did not come from another planet and therefore no one should look at the police with suspicion.
“Police officers also come from you. Some of them are your brothers, sons, daughters… We are like a family. We are all part of you and it is our responsibility to extend all possible assistance to you,” Singh said.
The IGP was interacting with senior citizens at the Calangute Police Station at a recent function organized at the behest of PI Jivba Dalvi during the Chaturthi festival.
Singh acknowledged that the scheme of beat police visiting senior citizens had gone into hibernation but assured the gathering that it has been revived.
“Now, we have the data available. Anytime a beat officer visits a senior citizen a tick mark will be made if so and so beat officer has visited this particular senior citizen in this police station. Absence of a tick mark will give us an idea that this particular senior citizen has not been contacted during this month or week,” he said.
The IGP was responding to a query from a senior citizen Ciriaco Dias who said that the concept of beat police was not available in Calangute Police Station for the last eight years.
“No one has visited me, as I am staying alone. If I want to say anything I don’t know anyone who I can talk to,” said Dias, who is a freedom fighter.
Singh said that the DGP had taken an initiative of collecting data of all senior citizens who are living alone or whose children are not living with them so that police officers are able to interact with them.
“This initiative is not only taken by the beat officers, but PIs, SDPOs, SPs, DIGP and even at my level. We have your data on our computer. Every day we pick up two or three senior citizens and talk to them,” he said.
He said during the conversation with the senior citizens, police inquire about their welfare or whether they need anything.
“Sometimes you may not be well or you may not be able to ride your car or two-wheeler. You can give a call to the beat constable who can arrange medicine for you. You may be thinking of depositing your electricity bill, telephone bill etc, all these small chores will be felicitated by your officers,” the IGP assured.
Eliciting the support of people to make the scheme successful, he said that the police wanted to take the initiative forward so that they can serve people better.
