Patnaik prescribes booklet on criminals

Inspired by banks which believe in the dictum ‘Know your customer’, police commissioner Arup Patnaik wants all police stations across the city to know their criminals. With a view to keep the constabulary informed of the happenings in their new postings, Patnaik has ordered all police stations in the city to maintain printed booklets that will carry details of all the active criminals in their jurisdiction.

Apart from keeping the constabulary updated with details of the anti-socials, their offences, photographs and addresses, the booklet will be of immense help to transferred police staff joining their new postings. Considering that every criminal has a unique modus operandi, the newly-transferred staff can look up the booklet as instant reference of cases and active criminals in their new jurisdiction.

The police believe that lack of knowledge of the criminals’ background and identity can put the newly-transferred force on weak footing. “Apart from the newly-posted cops, the booklet will help new recruits in taking a and newly posted cops,” said a senior officer in the commissioner’s office.

Further, senior officers would be conducting exams to check if their constables as well as officers are taking the booklet seriously or not. “Some policemen who failed to recognise the criminals in their area or to read the booklet properly have been issued notices,” said deputy commissioner of police (Zone-3) Kishore Jadhav.

While the Byculla police station is the first to print and distribute the booklet among its men, who have been asked to carry it along and read it thoroughly, other police stations have begun acting on the top cop’s directions in the past one week.