Civilians to now assist police as 'Police Mitra'

Civilians will soon be able to assist police in handling local matters as 'Police Mitra', in an initiative to strengthen the relationship of the security force and the public.
The idea was suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Directors General of Police and Inspectors General conference last year where he had stressed that police forces should work on bridging the gap between them and the society.
Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma has issued standing orders to implement the initiative from today.
"The Police Mitra initiative will be implemented from today. Every police station will have civilian volunteers, whose number will depend on the area, and they will help police in crime prevention and establishing a better public- police interface," said Dependra Pathak, Delhi Police spokesperson and Joint Commissioner of Police (Southwest).

The modalities of the programme have also been worked out and those people who have a "good social record" in the area will be enrolled, said the officer.
Their job will be to help police in addressing issues like drug addiction, maintaining communal harmony in the area, he added.
After being chosen, they will undergo an interactive session at the local police stations where they will be posted and will be apprised of their duties, said the officer.