Kerala CM launches 'My Police Station', says it should be a space of safety, support

Thiruvananthapuram: Police stations should not be places that instil fear in people but should instead provide them with help and protection, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Friday.

He was speaking after inaugurating the state-level launch of the Kerala Police's 'My Police Station' project at the Peroorkada Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram.

Satheesan said the long-standing perception of the police as a source of fear should change, and people should develop the confidence that the police are their friends and helpers. At the same time, criminals should fear that they will be identified by the police and brought before the law if they commit offences, he said.

Police personnel should treat everyone who visits a station, including senior citizens, women and children, with kindness and sensitivity, the Chief Minister said. Those approaching a police station to file a complaint should leave with the confidence that they will receive justice, he added.

The 'My Police Station' initiative represents a modern, people-friendly approach to policing, Satheesan said.

He stressed the need for changes in police investigation methods and approaches in response to the evolving nature of crime. With criminals increasingly using technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics, the police force must also be equipped to deal with such challenges, he said.

"Modern technologies should be used to build a more professional and efficient police force, while ensuring a police system that interacts with people in a friendly manner," Satheesan said, adding that he hoped the 'My Police Station' project would help achieve both objectives.

The Chief Minister also referred to the state's fight against drug abuse. He said the Kerala Police's efforts to protect the younger generation from drugs should become a model for the country and the world. Satheesan also unveiled the official logo of the 'My Police Station' project at the event.

Speaking at the function, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who presided over the event, described the initiative as an "unforgettable milestone" in the history of the Kerala Police.

He said instructions had been issued to expedite the removal of unused vehicles that had been lying in police station premises for years and to deposit the proceeds from their disposal in the treasury.

For the first time in the state's history, women are also being appointed as Station House Officers at 63 police stations, Chennithala said. Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said the new changes would further strengthen the police force.

Mayor V V Rajesh, State Police Chief Ravada Azad Chandrasekhar, Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department Minhaj Alam, former DGP and police adviser A Hemachandran, ADGP P Vijayan, Commissioner Arul R B Krishna and Peroorkada SHO T K Vinod Krishnan were among those who attended the event.

The Kerala government also issued orders on Friday reorganising the existing Station House Officer (SHO) system in police stations across the state, bringing back Sub Inspectors as SHOs in regular police stations while retaining Inspectors in strategically important stations.