Those afraid of going to a police station fearing abuse or refusal by police to lodge complaints can breathe easy. The police station will soon come to your doors, literally.

Patna police are planning a programme in this direction. They are evaluating the workload at police stations. Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vikas Vaibhav told The Telegraph the idea was to infuse confidence among people who fear going to police stations.

"According to the plan, the station house officer (SHO) of a police station will have to set up a temporary office at a public place in his jurisdiction twice a week. A table and chair will be provided for the purpose. The officer and some members of his team will interact with the public out in the open," SSP Vaibhav said.

The idea is to infuse confidence among people vis-a-vis the police and to try and bring out the pro-people face of the men-in-uniform," he added.

Explaining the same, sources said there were many who avoided visiting police stations to lodge complaints.

"There are complaints and allegations that the men-in-uniform misbehave with people visiting police stations. They are allegedly made to wait and FIRs are not taken. Sometimes, the police also misbehave with the people. This is a bid to change this notion, as senior officers will be out of station buildings, working from a public place and interacting with the people in a proper way, watched by many. For example, two days in a week, the Gandhi Maidan police station SHO will hold office and interact with people sitting at the Gandhi Maidan. This will solve two purposes - the police will gain the confidence of the people and the police, too, will learn to behave," a police officer said.

As Patna SP in 2005-06, Vaibhav had started the same drive and it bore good results too. "It had a good impact among people and the police want to implement it again. However, one also has to look at the present work pressure at all police stations in Patna. The same is presently being assessed and the plan will be implemented accordingly. At the time it was first started, the police used to sit out in the open at a public place on Tuesdays and Fridays each week," the SSP said.

There have been complaints, now and then, that the police don't behave properly with complainants at police stations and their FIRs are not taken down.

On May 20, a Sheikhpura businessman in Patna on business saw the real face of the Patna police after someone picked his pocket, leaving him poorer by Rs 3 lakh. Officers at the Chowk police station in Patna City made him sit for hours and then refused to take his FIR. The disappointed businessman chose to leave for his hometown, vowing never to lodge an FIR regarding his complaint.

Residents agree the attitude of the police needs to change for better policing to be a reality.

"There are many cases and it happens almost every day. One can find more people coming with their complaints to the SP or SSP's office than to police stations. The SSP's janta durbars, too, witnesses complain about action not being initiated or the police not taking FIRs. While this move is commendable, the change in attitude is necessary. People should fear criminals, not the police," Mohammed Rahman, a resident of Punaichak area, told The Telegraph.