Ggm Police chief asks cops to develop direct social connect with the citizenry

gurugram: Among the first directions to the force since taking charge, Commissioner Kala Ramachandran, Gurugram's first woman police chief, has asked cops in the city to develop a direct social connect with the citizenry and increase general interactions with them.

The newly-appointed Gurugram police commissioner is said to have mentioned how communication and interaction with the public will aid in a better and stronger relationship between the police and the citizens, who they are meant to protect. She thus also asked policemen and policewomen to interact with the public more often.

Ramachandran took charge on February 15 and while her first few days were spent being briefed on the law and order situation in the city, she has already begun discussions with top officials of her force on how to improve policing in Gurugram.

The police chief has also directed the officials to explore new ideas for improving policing and share them openly with the team members in a bid to widen the scope of ideas for transforming the city police force into a more citizen-centric institution.

After taking charge, Ramachandran had outlined her list of priorities to improve law and order in the city, which included reducing cybercrimes, motor vehicle thefts and burglaries and significantly tackling the NCR city's ever-persistent traffic conditions.

Ramachandran, a 1994-batch IPS officer, has previously worked at the Intelligence Bureau and was more recently the Principal Secretary in Haryana's Transport Department. She has also served in the State Vigilance Department. Her husband Navdeep Singh Virk, also a top IPS officer, has also served as the Gurugram Police Commissioner.

Ramachandran has taken charge of the city police force at a time when it is facing several allegations of police officials being involved in crimes like abductions, heists and extortion. For a long time, the city police force has also been accused of not being able to efficiently manage affairs at the Bhondsi jail.

In addition, the force has constantly been criticised for the under-representation of women in its ranks — much like most police departments in the country.