Mangalore police seek people’s help in policing

With the city police increasingly feeling the need for greater police presence on the ground, they are considering roping in citizens to maintain a vigil against crime and to facilitate their role in patrolling. This new Commissionerate formed out of the Dakshina Kannada police has been facing problems due to vacant posts. As many as 600 posts of police constables – who play an important role in policing – are vacant. As many as eight posts of sub-inspectors are also yet to be filled. Police Commissioner R. Hithendra told The Hindu there had been no recruitment for the posts of constables since 2008. Letters had been written to the senior police authorities expressing the need to fill the vacant posts, and even Home Minister K.J. George had been apprised of the vacant posts, he said. The problem of vacancy is not restricted to Mangalore, with nearly 1,200 posts of constables lying vacant in Bangalore City. Mr. Hithendra said the city police would take measures to ensure the presence of police on the ground. “Ultimately it is the number of footsteps on the ground that really counts,” he said. He wants people to come forward in lending their services for traffic management and for night patrolling. “We are looking for people with a passion for service. He/she should not have any criminal record,” he said. Police will train people with skills required for the two tasks. Mr. Hithendra said some persons were already lending their services as traffic wardens. Mr. Hithendra said the government had granted permission to take services of up to 500 Home Guards. “But we could only get 70 home guards. We are not getting the required number here (in this district),” he said. The Commissioner said they have also started making use of private vehicles that are being offered for policing work. “These vehicles are used when the official driver is given a break after an eight-hour duty,” he said. The use of private vehicles is only when the vehicle owner voluntarily offers it, he clarified. -The Hindu