Constables get peak caps, CM Siddaramaiah says efficiency must match new look

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Home Minister Parameshwara distributed peak caps to police personnel at a ceremony held at the Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday. 

Kavana S M, a female constable posted in the Central Crime Branch (CCB), received the new peak cap from the chief minister.

“I feel proud to wear this new cap. It’s lightweight, comfortable and looks very professional with the police uniform,” she said.   Siddaramaiah said, “When there was a proposal to change the police caps, I chose the peak cap. Slouch hats were being used for a long time. Let not only your cap, but your efficiency also change for the better. Police personnel should work more effectively, stay away from illegal activities and maintain control over crime”. 

Parameshwara said the peak caps would help boost the self-confidence and professional image of the police personnel. 

“The new peak caps strengthen the self-confidence of our police personnel. The earlier hats were uncomfortable during the rainy season and did not look good. Our police personnel look smarter and more professional in the new caps,” he said. 

While 600 constables received these caps on Tuesday, a senior police officer said 83,000-odd police constables would get them in the next two to three months. The government will recruit 8,500 new constables soon, the officer added.  Releasing the ‘Sanmitra’ brochure for the state’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), the chief minister said the government’s goal was to make Karnataka drugs-free, not just in slogan, but also in reality. 

“The government will be happy only when the state becomes free from drugs,” the CM said.  To strengthen enforcement against drug-related crimes, the ANTF, a specialised state-level unit headed by an ADGP-rank officer with a sanctioned strength of 56 personnel, will work in close coordination with national agencies to combat the rising menace of drugs. 

Peak caps give the personnel a refurbished look.