Community policing paying dividends, says Kodiyeri Staff Reporter
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/11/stories/2009011159310300.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People urged to help in fight against terrorism High accident rates continuing in State -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KOCHI: Cooperation of the public is mightier than weapons in the fight against terrorism, said Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Home, Vigilance and Tourism, here on Saturday. He was speaking after inaugurating the Janamaitri awards convention at A.J. Hall. Nine months after it was launched, the Janamaitri Community Policing initiative could dispel the doubts raised against its impact. Community policing has played a significant role in bringing down the crime rates in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram cities, Mr. Balakrishnan said. He was referring to a point made by Manoj Abraham, City Police Commissioner in his welcome speech. He said that the crime rate reported in Kochi during 2008 was 35 per cent less compared to the previous year. Social intervention Citing a similar experience, Mr. Balakrishnan said that the police intervention could clear the image of Chengalchoola, a slum in Thiruvananthapuram, of its notoriety and bring it closer to the mainstream society. The community policing is not just meant to bring down crime, but also to make meaningful social interventions. The police could build confidence among the public, especially among women, during this period. They have started approaching the beat officers with complaints about crime in the locality and also pass on information, the Minister said. Beat policing could also be effectively used to collect and monitor information about migrant labourers. On the other hand, the rumour that labourers from outside the State would be allowed to work here only on producing a certificate from their local station is baseless. Such a step will only undermine national integration, he said. Creating awareness Despite efficient policing, the State continues to top the statistics at the National Crime Records Bureau because of the high accident rates. Community policing could be used to create awareness among the public on safe driving habits and traffic ethics, Mr. Balakrishnan said. He also presented Janamaitri citizen awards to Aparna Lavakumar, the woman constable who helped the relatives of a dead woman to release the body from the mortuary by giving them her gold ornaments to pledge; Srikanth, an autorickshaw driver who returned the passport and documents of a foreign tourist; and Solly Thomas and Sharon Jose, residents of the city who helped the police to capture Johnson alias Mariabhootham wanted in nearly 35 burglary cases for the past 13 years. Vinson M. Paul, Inspector General of Police, Ernakulam Range, handed over the Limca Book of Records Certificate to Mr. Balakrishnan. The Limca Book of Records had included the attempt by the City Police for organising pookalam (floral carpets) competition with the most number of participants (355) and for preparing the largest pookalam ever. Honoured As many as 140 policemen worked for three-and-a-half hours to build the floral carpet spread over 12,000 sq.ft using 5 tonnes of flowers during last year's Onam celebrations by Police Residents Initiative in District Ernakulam. Awards were given P. Rangadasa Prabhu, president of Ernakulam District Residents Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC); and Rajeev Kumar Cheruvara, managing director of Apple A Day Properties, who sponsored the floral carpet. Awards were also given to Anil Karete, the director, and Ajay, team leader of the street play Nammal Onnanu to spread the message of Janamaitri Community Policing. The play has completed more than 100 days and has toured extensively across the State. A memento was given to V.I. Mathew, deputy general manager of Union Bank, for supporting the Janamaitri Citizen Award. K.V. Thomas, MLA, presided over the function. C.K. Manisankar, Deputy Mayor; Manoj K. Das, Editor (Kerala), The New Indian Express and member of Janamaitri District Committee; and P.K. Gopalakrishnan, general secretary, EDRAAC, were also present. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
