DCP to don the role of civic officer

Rokde, at 42, does not think this change will affect him greatly. Speaking to The Indian Express at his office in the state police headquarters at Colaba, he said,“It is equally challenging and will give me more opportunities to serve the people.”

Rokde has already begun making plans for his tenure as a civic officer and said he would concentrate more on the co-ordination between the law and the BMC. Says Rokde, “The police and the BMC can do a great job when it comes to preventing encroachment on government land, overnight creation of slums and the cleanliness drive”.

He adds that it is not only the BMC which can avail the services of the police but it is also applicable vice-versa. “The civic authorities can make use of the contacts of the mohalla committees formed by each police station in the city and thus can become more citizen-friendly,” he said Rokde, born and brought up in Nagpur, is a B A, B Sc. and L L B from Nagpur University.

While in college, he also took part in wrestling, sprinting and athletics. He has been instrumental in bringing about changes in Dakshata – a police magazine in Marathi, and made it more reader-friendly during his tenure as editor About the most memorable experience in his 19 years of policing, Rokde narrated an incident that occurred when he was Superintendent of Police in Nashik. “We were going to Igatpuri for an inspection late one night.

On the way, we saw a man almost crushed to death lying in middle of the road. We moved him to the hospital. I did not have much hope as to his survival and hence was surprised when the person was cured and came to thank me at the office,” Rokde recollects.