DIG of Tirhut Bachchu Singh Meena (centre) at the police-public meet in Muzaffarpur on Friday. Picture by Prakash Kumar

Motihari/Muzaffarpur, March 11: Senior police officers posted in districts are making extra efforts to win the trust of the people and curb crimes in areas under their jurisdiction.

East Champaran superintendent of police (SP) Ganesh Kumar promised people-friendly and corruption-free policing in the district at a police-public meet at outpost number 1. Source said this was a part of the strategy of the new SP to get public support and information about crimes and criminals from the residents of the district.

Kumar — who joined a week ago — has already outlined a code of conduct for the cops in the district.

At the meet organised on March 10, Kumar said the interaction with the people would continue under eachand every police station in the area.

“The cops must change their public image for effective and people-friendly policing in the district,” said Kumar.

The SP also directed the police officers to submit reports and character certificates for passport verification within a limited timeframe, after a complaint was raised by one of the speakers at the meet.

The speakers at the meet also raised the issues of ban on the liquor sale at Gandhi Chowk, action against minor tempo drivers and eve-teasers, removal of encroachments, deputation of traffic policemen near all the important junctions and increase in police patrol, especially in the night. The local unit of the chamber of commerce recently lodged a complaint against a constable of Raxaul police station. Kumar immediately suspended the constable.

Another senior police officer has decided to go all out against crime and criminals to ensure a safer environment for residents. The newly posted senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Muzaffarpur, Rajesh Kumar, has entrusted 300 police officers, right from the rank of junior sub-inspectors (JSIs) to Inspectors, the job to catch 600 dubious persons booked for involvement in criminal cases.

The 300 police officers are presently posted at 33 police stations, including nine outposts in the district. Soon after joining, the SSP along with deputy inspector-general (DIG) Tirhut, Bachchu Singh Meena held a meeting with trade representatives of the North Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI) on Thursday evening and informed them that the station house officers (SHO) had been asked to prepare a list of persons having criminal antecedents who could posing law and order problem.

The SHOs prepared a comprehensive list of 600 suspected criminal elements. The SSP immediately passed the order to arrest them.

Elaborating his plan of better policing, the SSP said that there were 300 police officers in the district and each officer had been asked to catch two dubious persons from the list. The timeframe to catch the suspected criminals has not been specified.