City dwellers have no clear idea about beat policing

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has started beat policing programme to control the crime in the capital city but it is limited in the name, not in the work.

The programme was started around one year with a view to make police more people-oriented but till now it does not do any work for the people because city dwellers do not know clearly about beat policing.

However, many DMP officer-in-charges does not know how many beats are in his police station while many police personnel who are assigned in beat policing have no clear idea about their responsibilities.

Lack of training of the policemen regarding the beat policing programme is responsible for the matter (no clear idea), some police high officials claimed.

To start this kind of ambitious programme without increasing police members and their facilities, people will not get proper service from the programme, they said.

The beat policing programmes was started following the Koban method of Japan’s police. The preliminary intention of the programme is to solve four major problems in Dhaka city including control drug peddling, defence mugging, improve traffic system and illegal arms recover.

DMP sources said 41 police station jurisdiction was divided into 600 beat to control crime, to collect information and to ensure explanation of the police works. Every beat was led by a sub inspector and comprises with an assistant sub inspector and three to four constables.

Inspector (investigation) of the police station is the in charge of beat policing while officer in charges (OC) doing the coordination.

Some specific works was set by the DMP for the responsible SI of a beat. According to the rules, the beat chief will collect information about all kind of criminals including drug peddler in his beat area.

They will arrest the listed criminals, muggers, illegal arms traders and will take action against the eve teaser in his jurisdiction. They will also make list of all ready made garments, bank as well as financial organisations and contact with those people. They will organise discussion meeting in every week regarding the law and order situation with the important people of the area.

Beat members will make list of political and suspicious people of that area and will follow their movement.

They will collect information of all the floating people lived in the slum, mess of the area.

In this system police of every beat is bound to go on the doorstep of every people of the area and information of all the inhabitant will also be stored to police in this way.

While tried to contact with beat officer of various police stations over phone, many beat officer could not received the phone while some mobile number found switch off.

While talked with many beat officers, this correspondent found that beat officers have no clear idea about it.

Sub Inspector Halim, beat officer of Kalabagan police station said that “our duty is to maintain the law and order situation of my beat area.”

While asked that people do not have any idea about beat policing he agreed with me and told that it is true but he added “we delivered leaflet about beat policing in every house of my area.”

He also said that soon we will paste leaflet or wall writing in my beat area so that people know about it.

Every beat officer will arrange weekly meeting in his area, while asked him he replied that in his tenure he arranged only two meeting with the people of that area.

A former beat officer of Kalabagan police station, Sub-Inspector Shekh Taj Uddin Ahmed, alleged that people did not response us willingly.

He also said that, “I do meeting with the people of the area so that people may know about it.”

“I delivered a form in every house to collect the details of the domestic help, driver and other workers of those houses. If they (driver, domestic help) do any crime in future so we can catch them easily. But the reality is different only few people responses us.”

“I personally think, as it’s a new service for the city dwellers and they don’t know clearly about it so they are not interested to help us,” he added.

While visited Lalbagh area found beat police number in various wall was posted.

Engr. S.M. Anwar Hossain, Chairman & CEO Advanced Development Technologies, said that “I know about the beat police trough newspaper.”

While asked that any beat officer contacted with you he replied “no one contacted with me.”

Komol Gomez, a house owner of Kafrul area, said that he saw number of beat police in the wall of his area but he has no idea about their work.

While talked with a garments owner of Mirpur 13 he said that he have no idea about beat police.

Masudur Rahman, additional deputy commissioner of police, said the beat police programme is already running in developed countries and they got success.

“The beat policing programme is already started in our country and we also got success. We have some problem but it will be solved soon,” he added.

He also said that “we are trying to aware the people about beat police. I hope soon we may able to give idea about beat policing to all the city dwellers.”

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