‘Information sharing with Press need to be streamlined’

--Media persons suggest police to behave public well

BHUBANESWAR: Attending a Police-Media interaction organised by the Commissionerate Police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) here on Tuesday, senior journalists of various Media houses in the city suggested Twin City Police Commissioner Dr RP Sharma to streamline the process of dissemination of information to media houses in a regular manner.

During the interaction, editors and bureau chiefs of different media houses alleged that some of the police officers don’t give information about the high profile and sensitive crimes occurred in the twin city. “Their reluctance promotes misinformation in crime reporting,” said journalist Bipin Singh.

Similarly, MBC TV editor Ashok Mohapatra and OTV editor Soumyajit Patnaik said the Commissionerate Police should disseminate information in a democratic way to all media houses without any prejudices. The public relations department in the Commissionerate Police needs to be strengthened, opined journalist K Ravi of Statesman.

Most of the media persons suggested the Commissioner should take initiative to change the attitude of the police personnel working in the twin city while dealing with the public. Victims get victimised by the police personnel in the police stations which is very unfortunate, said Asian Age special correspondent Akshay Sahu.

The journalists said the police should behave with the public in a friendly manner so that the people who come to the police stations will not be disappointed. “Well behave by the police in a worst time of a victim will give courage to the person to fight against injustice, so that police should change its attitude towards public,” said a journalist.

Journalists like Prasanna Mohanty, Satkadi Hota, Nabin Das and Gopal Mohapatra suggested many new things to the Commissioner to strengthen basic policing, traffic system, crime control and intelligence. They also proposed to keep strict vigil on the activities of the outsiders so that they can’t run away after committing crime in the city.

Dr Sharma assured the journalists to take positive initiatives to implement new ideas to strengthen the policing in the twin city. A training programme will be started for the police staff from February 28 to teach them how to deal with the general public in the police stations, he added.

“We have taken several new initiatives to streamline traffic system, night patrolling, proper frisking, road safety and many other things. Though we have staff shortage problem, we are trying to improve the quality of basic policing,” said Dr Sharma.