In its endeavor to make direct contact with the common people, Amritsar Police has installed Complaint-cum-Suggestion Boxes at various places of Public importance. The keys of the boxes remain with the SSP himself and he personally opens the boxes once in a week. The objective behind this is to obtain feedback and suggestions from the public regarding the general crime as well as police working in the district.
We are getting constant and regular suggestions regarding police working besides valuable inputs regarding organized crime especially related with drugs and corrupt practices in the society. It is also an easy way to lodge complaints of any kind in which police can do something.This effort has bolstered the public confidence and direct access has enabled them in mitigating their sufferings.
It is general appeal from the common people to give proper identity if you want to lodge any complaint however identity is not required if you want to give any suggestion or any secret information. Any way the identity of the informer is kept secret.
You can also use E-mail for this purpose. The ID is policehelp100@gmail.com.
The SSP himself operates this e-mail.
The boxes are located at the following points:
- SSP Office
- PS Civil Lines
- Police Lines Main Gate
- Rattan Singh Chowk
- Railway Station: SGPC Information centre
- Company Bagh main gate
- GNDU: Near Main Sentry gate
- Chehartta Chowk
- Haripura,
- Vijaynagar : Near OBC
- Airport( VIP Parking)
- green Avenue
- Hall gate
- Town hall
- Golden temple(Police Check post)
- PS B Division/SW Gate
- Gurdawara Shaheedan/ Chattiwind Gate
- Atta Mandi Chowk
- Shaktinagar Chowk
- Gate Hakima(near Gate opposite Police Post)
- Durgiana Mandir(Near main gate)
- Bus Stand
- Maqboolpura
- Jandiala (at three locations)
The Tribune, August 8, 2007)
(http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070908/aplus.htm)
Out-of-box thinking helps cops
Vibhor Mohan
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 7
“Respected SSP saab, a group of drug peddlers wanted by the police are moving around freely in the Sultanwind area. They can be arrested from the following address…”
This is one of the letters posted by city residents in the complaint box put up at different public places. A brain-child of SSP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, the ideas has come up as a strong medium to report secretly about crime.
Talking to The Tribune, Kunwar said, “Thanks to the people. We have been able to achieve major breakthroughs due to secret information by the responsible citizens. The information has helped us in arresting accused wanted for drug peddling for the past few months.” The recent seizure of drugs on Sultanwind Road, Maqboolpura and the arrest of family of an accused Sukhi, are outcomes of public feedback only, he added.
Besides complaints, department also receives interesting suggestions. “For instance, a gentleman suggested that women should wear necklaces made of “tulsi”, instead of gold. It would keep them healthy and chain snatchers at bay,” recalled the SSP.
Giving another example, the SSP said, “Disturbed by the fact that kids of policemen roam around, with no purpose after school, one of the staffers shot off a letter to me suggesting setting up of a library in the residential area for these kids.” “Similarly, department gets many valuable suggestions and we’ll try to implement them. Many letters pertain to traffic congestion in the city and people write in suggestions about their areas on how to create more parking spaces,” he added.
Revealing about the activity, the SSP said, “Instead of putting up complaint boxes outside the police stations, they have been put up at public places. On an average we get 15-20 letters every third day from boxes outside Hall Gate, Town Hall and Ram Bagh.” The keys of the boxes are with me and I personally read every letter, added Kunwar.
Letters are categorised as - tip offs, suggestions and grievances. The grievances include complaints about land disputes and personal problems. These are passed on to the police station concerned. Giving an example, the SSP said he received a letter from the owner of a popular restaurant in the city. He had requested him to withdraw orders of declaring premises around his restaurand as no-parking zone, because it had resulted in loss of business. Asked about the percentage of junk mail, the SSP said only 10 per cent of total received mails was junk. “It has never happened that information through letters turn out to be false. Most tip-offs are by anonymous writers and some even call after the job is done,” the SSP added.
Even disgruntled cops contact the police chief through the complaint boxes. In one such complaint a staffer informed about a corrupt head constable and urged the SSP to frisk him any day after duty hours where he could be caught red-handed.
1 comment:
At few police chownki's,bribes are blatantly collected from Tractor trolleys ferrying sand etc.early in the morning.Instead of ensuring smooth flow of traffic,they disrupt the traffic.A point in case is Gumtala-Airport where police people only get into act when there is VIP movement or when Indo-Pak bus passes.Apart from this no one sees that proper traffic rules are followed.It is important to make these policemen change their dealings and become responsible towards their responsibilities.
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