JOIN USGo online, see how police station works
There is a stereotypical image of a police station and the conduct of police officers in our mind. And to change this image and help people understand how a police station functions, a software tool Virtual Police Station has been launched which will give you a virtual tour of a police station.
In the tour one can enter every department of the police station with a click of a button. There are short and long videos describing instances like rape, theft and murder format and the police procedures that should be followed are shown. For example, there is a reconstructed story of a rape victim coming to the police station, already full of fear and hesitant to speak up in the ‘video’. She is met first by a ‘bad cop’ and then a ‘good cop’. It illustrates for the user and the police, what is acceptable and what is not.
“Not only is the training more visual and telling but also very informative. Now, the trainees, will learn what should happen versus what is happening, and get sensitised about the gaps and professional shortcomings that they must avoid or address,” says
B L Soni, director Rajasthan Police Academy(RPA) who has given his inputs to develop the tool. The tool is developed by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and the tool has been used by RPA.
The tool is extensive. It lays down history, law enforcement, trial and climax of all situations at large and also of individual cops in the police station. Along with the videos, there is extensive reading material also about several cases and can research on case studies and constitutional laws.
In one instance, when a man is held on suspicion of theft, one can see that the police needs an arrest memo on the spot. The memo should have witness signature, reason, time and other details without which the arrest cannot be made. In no circumstance can the police misbehave with the accused. Even if he or she tries to run from the site. All the paperwork has to be done and only then can a man be ‘arrested’. Now when he is taken into the police station, how he should be treated is also shown.
Films and television series like Talvar and Crime Patrol respectively have highlighted the good work being done by police. But the minute details of policing are still misconstrued in many ways through these films. In such a scenario VPS will act as a training tool for the police and public.
Though one might think that VPS is more centred on public knowledge of policing, but a senior police officer who requests anonymity says, “The tool is crucial for police training. In every profession one needs to refresh their education. Dealing with situations every day, the police also lose touch with their training they had received in the academy. It’s important to refresh it every now and then. It is also for public education as after being aware they will be less fearful of going to the
police station.”