Mumbai CP to direct senior police inspectors over video conferencing

CP Sanjay Barve (centre) interacted with the citizens and directed senior police inspectors earlier this week to take up their complaints on priority

With all the hoopla around Digital India, the city's new commissioner of police, too, has joined the bandwagon. CP Sanjay Barve has decided to connect all senior police inspectors across the city through video conferencing, monitored from the Visitors Hall at the CP's office.

The step is a result of consistent complaints by citizens against local police stations not giving an ear to their grievances and being forced to visit senior officers. When citizens meet the commissioner every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 pm to 6 pm at the CP's office, the top cop will also communicate with the senior police inspectors via video conferencing.

Also Read: Mumbai: Police Chief changes visitors hours for citizens to curb cops' sleeping time

Around 80 people had gathered for Tuesday's meeting. Pics/Atul Kamble

Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve said that the process of connecting all the senior PIs directly to the visitor's area will be completed soon. "It will help us in understanding the issues faced by people who have been turned away from their local police stations. If they have valid questions, we can direct the police station concerned to re-look into the matter," he explained.

Since day one of taking charge as the city commissioner, Barve has instructed his team to ensure that visitors who come to his office in hope for justice, are not turned away.
As a step ahead in this direction, Barve a video conference will now be organised every Tuesday and Thursday in the new building with a seating capacity of more than 100 people. In a bid to make the working of the department more transparent, all 94 police stations across the city will be connected to the Visitors Hall.

CP Sanjay Barve (centre), along with senior officers, gave an independent hearing to every complainant at the meeting on Tuesday

Technical work on the video connection is likely to be completed by next week, even as an in-person meeting with complainants takes place at the CP office every week. "This is not a janta darbar but being the commissioner, I want more transparency in the force. Listening to people and their grievances directly will ensure that they get justice," Barve said.

A former commissioner Satyapal Singh (2012-2014) and now a BJP minister, used to organise a janta darbar at the local police stations to connect with the citizens directly. Tuesday's meeting here saw around 80 people in attendance along with the commissioner, senior officers, joint CP (admin) Santosh Rastogi and Joint CP (EOW) Vinoy Chaube. Everyone present was given an independent hearing and senior PIs of the police station concerned were directed to look into the matter on priority. They were also asked to report to the commissioner's office regarding the cases.

80
No. of citizens who attended CP's meeting

94
No. of enior PIs to be connected via video conferencing

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