City safety, protecting cops from Covid-19 are priority, says Bengaluru top cop Kamal Pant

Assuming charge as Bengaluru’s 36th Commissioner of Police on Saturday, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kamal Pant revealed that his immediate focus was to ensure the safety of the city and protect his team during the pandemic.

Pant told DH soon after taking over, “Bengaluru is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Besides, several police personnel have also tested positive and even succumbed to the pandemic. It is a challenge for all of us. We will continue to work with all care and more effort to ensure the safety of the city and our own personnel.”

Elaborating his plans to fight Covid, Pant said, “We have lost nine personnel and about 1,200 officers and staff have tested positive for Covid-19. Besides Covid operations, we also need to carry out basic policing besides ensuring law and order across the city. As we have a detailed SOP to deal with the Covid scenario, we also need to bring in change in policing at this time of pandemic.”

Asked about the growing concern over cyber crimes, Pant said there are eight CEN (cyber crime, Economic Offences and Narcotic drugs) police stations in each division. “They have reduced the burden of one cyber crime police station. All officers in these stations will be trained on how to handle cyber crime cases. If required, we will also take help from CID cyber crime wing officials and outsource work from private companies and upgrade the equipment.”

Pant said there will be a zero tolerance towards rowdy activities in the city. “Bengalureans are peace-loving people and educated, we won’t allow anybody to disturb peace. Instructions will be issued to tackle rowdies. On drugs also, there is zero tolerance and we will intensify our intelligence in tracking the drug peddlers’ network,” he said.

On steps to ensure safety of women and children, the commissioner said existing initiatives will be strengthened.