It was a pleasant surprise to note that as part of Goa police’s new initiative for addressing public grievances, some citizens reportedly met Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar on Tuesday. The walk-in initiative wherein the public can directly meet the DGP without prior appointment is a highly appreciative step. It is learnt that the DGP will meet citizens on Tuesday and Friday for one hour. In case the DGP is unavailable at that time due to prior commitments, then the Inspector General of Police or Deputy Inspector General of Police will conduct the hearing.
Be that as it may according to a study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, people for various reasons feel reluctant to lodge complaints with the police. The relationship between the citizens and the police plays a vital role in combating crime in society. Police should act in a way that earns and maintains public respect and confidence. This includes being courteous and well-mannered, being impartial and dependable, sensitive and non-judgmental.
Police should strive to promote harmony among the people and should be above corruption. They should not abuse their authority and should respect the rights of others. The walk-in initiative to meet the DGP of Goa will go a long way in improving police-citizen relationship and laying to rest all misgivings. Such an initiative could be extended to various police stations with the respective Police Inspector addressing grievances of the public under his jurisdiction once a week.
