Realising the need to move closer to the public to be able to detect and prevent crimes on time, a probationary IPS officer has extended a hand of friendship towards the people, especially school children, at her place of posting. Ms. Anukriti Sharma, a probationary IPS officer of 2020 batch, is posted as SHO at Sushant Golf City Police Station in Lucknow. She has started the ‘Police My Friend’ initiative to bridge the gap between the police and the public.
Indian Masterminds interacted with the officer to get more details about the initiative.
POLICE MY FRIEND
Through this initiative, Ms. Sharma aims to reach out to the common man, and especially the children. She meets school children to make them feel comfortable with the police. They are told that police is their friend and not their enemy. Also, through these frequent interactions with children, she makes them aware of crimes against them, as well as their rights.
COMMUNITY COMPONENT
The initiative has two components – Community Component and School Component. Under Community Component, police personnel go to different places under their jurisdiction and sit with the people for public dialogues. “Generally, people complain that the police do not listen to them. So, we are trying to resolve this complaint. We go to a new area every day and listen to the complaints of people of all sections,” Ms. Sharma said.
Whether it is molesting, bullying, hooliganism or someone crating a ruckus after drinking alcohol in a public place… all kinds of complaints are addressed.
At the same time, if someone is not comfortable talking about his problem publicly, then he can also come to the police station personally and lodge his complaint.
“If their problem comes under the purview of the police, then we immediately address it, and if it is not in our purview, then we send it to the concerned department,” Ms. Sharma said.
During the community programmes, police also spread awareness among the public about domestic violence, cyber crime, financial fraud, police helpline number, the advantages of installing CCTV and alarm in their house, etc.
SCHOOL COMPONENT
In this component, ‘Police My Friend’ is a key word. Police go to schools and tell children that they are their friend.
Ms. Sharma explained: “We create three categories in school and hold competition among them. There is a greeting card competition for class 1-4, where children make cards on the theme, ‘A message for police uncle-aunty’, and write their messages on it. Then, there is a poster making competition for the children of class 5_8 on the theme, ‘New Police of New India’. In the third category, class 9-12 students take part in an essay writing competition on the theme, ‘New Police of New India’. We choose first, second and third from among the entries and give them prizes.”
The prizes will be formally given on a special prize distribution day with cultural programmes, where songs related to policing will be sung, a skit on good touch and bad touch performed, along with awareness campaign about social media, traffic rules, drugs, etc.
The officer further informed Indian Masterminds that the school programmes are now going on, entries have started coming in, and dates are being finalised for the prize distribution ceremony. “First on the list is GD Goenka Public School on 9 May. These programmes are to be conducted before the children’s summer vacations are over. We hope to cover all schools by May 28.”
