Kerala - Kochi   

Police revise beat patrolling

With a view to improving surveillance the police have revised the beat patrolling pattern, says Anand Haridas

The city police have revised the beat patrolling pattern to improve surveillance and information collection. The City Police Commissioner has instructed all personnel in the city limits to strengthen the beat system on a practical basis.

It has been pointed out that the existing system, based at police stations, proved to be ineffective at times because of the wide jurisdictional area of police stations. According to the new pattern, every village will have one beat each and each beat will comprise one head constable and two constables.

The personnel on beat patrol have been asked to collect name, address and contact number of six informants in each beat, while ensuring that these persons are spread over different regions in the beat limit.

These details will be handed over to the station sub-inspector to be entered in a special register. Details of the police personnel going on beat duty will also be included in the register.

At the other end, a logbook will be kept at the residence of informants. Policemen, on beat duty twice a week, are expected to sign the logbook and prepare a report based on information collected on the law and order situation. This report will be submitted to the respective sub-inspectors.

"Only those with proven record of social respectability will be selected as informants. These people will have more access with the police and hence the question of their personal security being compromised will not arise," said P. Vijayan, City Police Commissioner.

Logbooks will be maintained at all vital installations and important institutions in each beat area, in which flying squad personnel, night checking officers and other patrolling duty personnel will have to sign.

Those on beat duty are also expected to handle complaints, summons and warrants in their beat. Sub-inspectors, additional sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors have been asked to visit the beat area at least once a week and analyse the situation in consultation with the local informants.

The beat team will be monitored by Assistant Commissioners and Circle Inspectors and these officers will make surprise inspections of beat patrolling. At least one public interaction meeting will be convened by Circle Inspectors in each police station limits and Assistant Commissioners will convene one meeting every month.

All sub-divisional Assistant Commissioners and Circle Inspectors have been asked to prepare a schedule of interactive meetings in advance and submit it to the Commissioner.

The system has been put in place since last Monday and the public has responded well to it, said Mr. Vijayan.

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