Community COP-OUT

Community COP-OUT
A good and self-supporting neighbourhood ensures safety and security. In the past few years, the Bangalore City Police announced several citizen-centric schemes. But they lie in cold storage, reports
N D Shiva Kumar
TIMES NEWS NETWORK


It’s important for Bangalore to have some community policing measures as the city police are severely short-staffed — the police-public ratio is 1:5000 while the standard is 1:750.
A few years ago, the police introduced schemes like citizen participation to neighbourhood watch committee, Hello Neighbourhood programme, elders’ police hotline, registration of senior citizens, tenant verification scheme and maid registration scheme. But they have failed to take off.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH COMMITTEE
Objective: To ensure a safe neighbourhood with the help of residents who could easily identify strangers and keep a tab on them. Primarily, the member would patrol the area during ‘crime time’ — from evening till morning once a week or fortnight; keep a watch on locked houses in the neighbourhood; inform police about any suspicious activity or persons in the area. Besides, there were ambitious plans encouraging youth to start clubs to spend time in a meaningful manner, arrange social and cultural get-togethers, be a Good Samaritan and enquire about elderly citizens.
Status: Does not exist. Members were given an identity card by the police. Lack of proper monitoring and supervision resulted in some members misusing their authority and troubling people. Instead of weeding out elements who misused it, the department scrapped the scheme.
HELLO NEIGHBOUR
Objective: When H T Sangliana was the city police commissioner, he introduced it with these objectives — live and let live; know each other; make friends, share problems and help each other. He explained how one can be a good neighbour. He had said: Call on your neighbour; exchange pleasantries, maybe flowers or gifts; greet each other when you meet; know each other’s profession, family, general interest, etc; form a Hello Neighbour Club in the locality; make a list of residential and commercial premises in the locality and collect names of residents and have a good rapport with police officials.
Status: Initially organized at various police stations across the city, it witnessed a tremendous response. But after Sangliana was moved from the commissionerate, the officials’ enthusiasm faded and the programme died. Subsequent commissioners did not bother to continue it. Officers felt it took away their time and energy.
CITIZEN COMMITTEE
Objective: To interact with the police to ensure a safe neighbourhood. Members are expected to keep a tab on their area and inform police about the developments. The members can assist in cracking the case if they have any hint.
Status: It’s virtually defunct. For the record, officers at police stations hold a brief meeting and send a report to their bosses once a month. “The committees are not that active. In the meeting, we ask members to inform us about any suspicious activity and about new entrants to the locality. The response from them is not so enthusiastic,” said a police officer.
PEACE COMMITTEE
Objective: These committees exist, especially in communally sensitive areas. It is to ensure peace between Hindus and Muslims.
Status: The police hold meetings with them during festivals like Ganesha, Ramzan and Bakr-Id and seek their help in maintaining order. Meetings are also held during communal riots.
ELDERS POLICE HOTLINE
Objective: To create a safer environment for elders, the city police along with Elders Helpline (a service by Nightingale Medical Trust) launched Elders Police Hotline facility on the occasion of World Elders Day on October 1, 2005. Senior citizens need a BSNL telephone connection and a register. When they need help, they have to lift the telephone receiver off the hook and hold it for 20 seconds. The caller is identified through an ID number and using information from their database, the police will first contact the caller’s neighbour and then rush their mobile help units, Hoysala or Cheetah, to the spot. Those who wish to enrol must call on toll-free Elders Helpline on 1090. Status: After two years, only 330 people have registered. The hotline has received three calls for help. According to Dr Radha S Murthy of Nightingale Medical Trust, “It is due to lack of awareness. Also, to register, the senior citizen should have a BSNL connection and the neighbour should have a phone. Not many fulfilled this criteria.”
ENUMERATION OF SENIOR CITIZENS
Objective: A few years ago when attacks on senior citizens increased, the city police hit upon this idea to ensure their safety. Status: The initial enthusiasm waned very quickly. Now, it does not exist. Police cite poor response as the reason. Explained Dr Radha S Murthy, “Personally, I’m not in favour of this system because repercussions will be worse if the details fall into the wrong hands. Then, it will do more harm than good. Moreover, even senior citizens were not willing to divulge their details. The police did try, but the response was poor.”
TENANTS AND MAID VERIFICATION
Objective: To check the entry of unscrupulous elements, police requested the house owners to provide them with the details of tenants. To prevent crimes, police had asked employers to provide the details of maids. Status: The effort failed and it is non-existent. No concerted efforts were made to pursue them.
OFFICIALSPEAK
We holding police-public meets wherever possible. We advise residents to form neighbourhood watch committees to help themselves and also to assist the police. Neighbours should keep a watch on strangers before renting out their house and watch the houses of neighbours when they go out. Gopal B Hosur, JOINT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (CRIME)
shivakumar.nd@timesgroup.com