Deputy Commissioner of police (traffic) Rupesh Kumar visited traffic guards and barracks of the city police to bolster their morale and understand their concerns regarding Covid hygiene, leave which recently stirred revolt in the lower ranks.
The visit of a senior officer to the barracks of junior police officials and to initiate the process of interaction with the juniors on issues concerning them assumed significance since it came close on the heels of the fracas at the headquarters of the fourth battalion of Armed police of the Kolkata police at Salt Lake recently.
This had prompted top police officer Anuj Sharma to initiate disciplinary action against five officers in the rank of the assistant commissioner, who had since been shifted.
Sources close to the senior officers at Lalbazar said that such an interaction would now be undertaken regularly to be alive to their concerns and take steps taken accordingly to defuse the crisis before it inflames, damaging public image.
The three virulent protests staged at the PTS, Garfa PS and Salt Lake in quick successions recently had all the ingredients to inflict a serious beating on the image of a disciplined force like Kolkata Police had not gone down well with the city police chief.
Moreover, the incidents of stone pelting at the senior officers at Salt Lake and the alleged heckling of DC Combat Force by officers at the PTS where chief minister Mamata Banerjee had to intervene to salvage the situation spoke volumes of its enormity that took shape.
Kumar said, “I have visited the barracks and Howrah bridge traffic gurards in Howrah and Jorabagan Kolkata as well to exchange views and to be updated to their areas of concerns”.
Meanwhile, sources at Lalbazar said that the city police top brass is on a move to undertake a process of holding a meeting of junior cops at least twice a month to be alive to their issues of concern so that no untoward incidents occur in future.