Tags:
Journalism of Courage
November 2: quot;The Mumbai Police is looking for policemen and policechildren. In fact, we need all the help we can get to make our city a better place to live in. So how can you help? Simple. By becoming a plain clothes policewalla yourself.quot;
In the aftermath of gangwars and encounter deaths, these lines ring like a desperate call, but they are thoughtfully presented in the guise of festival greeting cards. These are the introductory lines of a batch of Diwali cards printed by the Mumbai police, seeking the co-operation of the citizens.
The cards titled: Policemen Wanted housewives and schoolchildren may also apply have been printed in Marathi and English.
This is the first time that such an idea has been mooted in the department, and is the combined brainchild of Commissioner of Police, R H Mendonca and Joint Commissioner Law and Order Dr P S Pasricha. Said Pasricha, quot;this is to educate the public and maintain a cordial atmosphere atmosphere among the public.quot;
Over one lakh cards have been printed with the help of Housing Development Finance Corporation, Hong Kong Bank and Citibank. He said that the cards have been sent to all the police stations, who will in turn distribute them among big co-operative housing societies, principals of schools and colleges, Rotaract clubs, Lions clubs, etc. quot;We hope to bring about greater interaction between the people and thereby infuse confidence in them.quot;
Some of the other aspects illustrated in the cards are, how to police your house, society and locality, how to police your work place, how to cope with firing on the streets, how to foil vehicle thefts, what to do when policemen are chasing a criminal and what when you become a victim of extortion etc.
