Home minister warns against criminal-police nexus

Any nexus between criminals and police officers cannot be tolerated, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai warned on Thursday, while calling for increased cooperation between the government and the police.

After a video conference with the superintendents of police from across the state at the police headquarters on Nrupatunga Road here, Bommai said the first priority of the police should be to provide justice to the poor and weaker sections.

“You (IPS officers) should never forget the day that you first became an IPS officer and you should achieve your goals. There should be no nexus between criminals and officers, but rather there should be increased cooperation between the government and the executive. We are all a part of the same team,” Bommai said.

Senior officers should make sure there is no threat to communal harmony and they should curb anti-social elements in the state, the minister said. Police should initiate strict action against drug dealers and financial fraudsters, he said.

Acknowledging the vacancies of 24,000 posts of constables, he said 4,000 new constables and 200 senior inspectors would be recruited soon. “I will meet the chief minister and submit a proposal to the Cabinet to implement police reforms,” Bommai said.

More frequent training, welfare benefits and increased funding for the police, fire officers and prisons are on the agenda, he added.

He said measures should be taken to ease traffic movement and enhance safety in areas like MG Road, Brigade Road and Vidhana Soudha.

With the commissioner of police, he discussed the importance of maintaining peace and communal harmony during the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi and Muharram festivals.

The Home minister said special attention should be given to gender-related issues such as sexual assault. He said people friendly policing was the key, in order to address complaints of citizens, for whom coming to the police station is the last resort.