Bhubaneswar, Sept. 22: The state government has stressed on the importance of strengthening the community policing scheme, Ama Police, with the aim at narrowing the gap between police and public.
The state police is planning to emulate the Kerala community policing scheme Janamaitri that aims to solve non-police issues related to utilities, development, civic and infrastructure problems.
The Ama Police system, which was introduced on April 1, 2013, in Cuttack, has been extended to 504 police stations across the state. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, while attending the valedictory function of a two day long training programme for police officers involved in community policing scheme at Biju Patnaik State Police Academy here, expressed his satisfaction on the way the scheme was being implemented.
"Reception counters and mahila and sishu help desks should be made functional at each police station to complement the objectives of community policing," said Naveen.
He also told the police officials that the suggestions and grievances registered by the members of Ama Police Samiti in the monthly meetings should be promptly addressed.
Under the scheme, each police station has formed an Ama Police Samiti, comprising 25 persons, including police personnel and local citizens. The inspector in-charge of the police stations concerned holds monthly meetings with the committee members and addresses issues of their localities.
Senior police officials said the Kerala community policing system redresses various non-policing issues by taking them up by drawing attention of the authorities concerned. "Such initiatives will definitely help in narrowing the gap between the police and the public," said a senior police official.
The two-day training programme covered several issues such as concept and practice of community policing, national and international practices. As many as 160 police officers from various parts of the state attended the programme. Director-general of police Sanjeev Marik said: "Earlier, people used to hesitate in sharing information with the police, but now, they are voluntarily sharing information with us."
