Spurt in cases of attacks on traffic cops

DCP traffic,Manoj Patil states that attacks on the police is people’s opposition to the changes that they have implemented in the city. But that would not deter police from discharging their duties. “It is basically a matter of tendency. People don’t like being told to follow rules.”

When asked whether the traffic police themselves are responsible for this,Patil replied,“I don’t deny that. If you take a closer look at the attacks,the reasons are different in all the cases. The traffic police behave rudely at times. They do not have soft temperament to deal with the situations.”

Patil pointed out,“In Mumbai,when there is a fresh recruitment in the department the cop stays with the same department throughout his career and develops the skills to handle to pressures of being a traffic cop. This is not the case in Pune. There are inter-departmental transfers. Thus traffic police cannot manage irate citizens and other issues.”

Traffic police were given special polycarbonate batons and one of the purpose was for their own protection. Possession of these baton are a rare sight these days. “Many of the batons are now broken. With the recruitment of 300 cops,there is a need of 400 more batons to replace the broken ones. We are also thinking of using better material for these batons,which is sturdy,durable and is not very heavy,” Patil said.

Traffic cops are also considering how to effectively use the cameras installed by Pune Municipal Corporation in various areas of the city. Plans are also being chalked out to ensure that all important areas in the city are manned by the police.