Baramulla, Oct 10: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla Gurinderpal Singh on Saturday urged people to approach the police with their grievances and provide direct feedback on the functioning of officers, saying public cooperation and accountability within the force were essential for improving policing.
Addressing media persons in Pattan regarding several theft cases solved by Baramulla Police, SSP Baramulla said the police were committed to resolving public grievances and would make every effort to address complaints related to theft, lost mobile phones and other offences.
He credited the success of the investigations to the professionalism of police personnel and the cooperation extended by the public, saying the teams worked independently and demonstrated professional competence.
“The most important thing for success is the public,” Singh said, adding that complainants and civilians assisted investigations by providing CCTV footage, statements, information and other technical evidence.
He urged people to maintain faith in the Police and approach the department whenever they faced a problem.
“We are always at your service 24×7, 365 days,” he said.
He added that the Police would make every possible effort to resolve cases and public grievances.
On accountability, SSP Baramulla said the public must use the hierarchy available if they were not satisfied with the progress of any investigation.
He said complainants could first approach the investigating officer and then escalate the matter to the concerned police post or police station in-charge, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) and the SSP.
“If thegrievances still remain unaddressed, people can approach senior officers, including the Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General of Police,” he added.
SSP Gurinderpal Singh said the police hierarchy operated within established rules and norms of accountability and responsibility.
“People must inform senior officers if they feel an officer at any level is not performing effectively,” he said.
He said such feedback should not necessarily be viewed as a complaint against an individual, as it could help identify areas requiring training or other corrective interventions.
“If a person needs training, we will focus on training,” he said, adding that feedback from the public would help the department identify shortcomings and improve its functioning.
The SSP also stressed that rehabilitation of offenders required a collective effort involving families, communities and the government.
He said Police alone could not ensure reform, saying it was a “whole-of-society” and “whole-of-government” responsibility.
“The family of an accused person, the immediate social environment and government interventions all had a role to play in preventing repeat offences,” he said.
SSP Baramulla however said that an individual’s willingness to change remained crucial, saying that the best rehabilitation facilities and policies would have limited impact if an offender was unwilling to abandon criminal activity.
“Police uses legal procedures, arrests, prosecution and court trials to make repeat offenders understand the consequences of their actions and their impact on society,” he added.
He said that while most people improved after their first involvement in an offence, those who repeatedly engaged in criminal activity required stronger legal action.
“Enhanced prosecution and punishment measures are available to deal with habitual offenders,” he added.
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