Walk 4 km daily to meet public, cops told

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 23

The state police have asked all its personnel, irrespective of their rank, to walk 4 km everyday. The decision has not gone down too well with the field officers posted in districts, who claim that a majority of the policemen are unfit and never had any refresher course throughout their career and so, asking them for such a walk is “illogical”.

The letter sent to all commissioners and district SSPs, dated August 23, 2016, and issued by the secret section of the Director General of Police reads, “The formulation of a strategy to win over the hearts and minds of the majority of the population. Implementation of foot patrolling and the need for every police officer to walk at least 4 km every day rather than relying on CCTV cameras.”

An IPS officer said half of the state police force would not be able to walk 4 km in the first place and in case they do, “A majority of them would be tired for the rest of the day.”

“In the morning parade, a majority of the SHOs do not turn up after submitting a medical leave application. In these circumstances, asking them to walk 4 km every day is a tough task for us,” he said.

The letter states that the decision was taken at the DGP-level conference held in 2014 and is to be implemented now.

An SHO-level officer said the Home Minister had made it mandatory for officers to meet the public in office during the fixed office timings. However, the department wants all officers to do foot patrolling every day. “If I send police station assistant sub-inspectors on such a leisure walk in the name of wining hearts and minds, running the police station would be impossible.”

With the shortage of force and elections around the corner, the order has the field officers in a tizzy. Defending the letter, an additional DGP-rank officer said the whole idea was to have more interaction with the public and that is “best possible during a walk”.

“Sometimes, we have the CM visit. We also have to visit crime sites. The office functioning has to be ensured in addition to taking accused on court hearings,” says an SP.

Defending the letter, an additional DGP-rank officer said that the idea is to have more interaction with public and “that is best possible during a walk”. No officer was willing to come on record on the issue.