On Friday, a month after the launch of the public outreach program OP Sampark Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla participated in a district level public meeting organised by the Tarn Taran district Police in Patti town in order to gather firsthand feedback on police performance and listen to grievances of the public.
The OP Sampark, a brainchild of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, was launched on November 14, 2024 with an intent to promote trust, cooperation, and collaboration between law enforcement and the public.
Special DGP Arpit Shukla, who is also a nodal officer for this program, said that as part of OP Sampark, CPs/SSPs have been directed to hold at least two public meetings at a district level in a week with educational, business, social, economic, and religious organisations. Similarly, Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) have been asked to hold meetings at sub-divisional level, while, Station House Officers (SHOs) will also conduct regular meetings to strengthen community ties, he added.
Terming the initiative a huge success, he said that since its launch on November 14, 2024, Punjab Police's community outreach program has achieved remarkable milestones with 4153 meetings were held by CPs/SSPs in their respective districts.
He said the program's primary objective is to establish a strong connection with the community, addressing concerns, and providing updates on various initiatives. To achieve this, the police will engage in regular community meetings, police-citizen interactions, youth engagement, social media engagement, and neighbourhood policing, he added.
The Special DGP, during an informal interaction with the people from different walks of life, has taken firsthand feedback from them on city's law and order situation and assured to resolve majority of their issues. He was accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tarn Taran Abhimanyu Rana.
He informed the public that the Punjab Police has also initiated a special campaign against petty crimes and drug smugglers. The Punjab Police has also launched a Safe Punjab Anti-Drug Helpline ‘9779100200’, which allows citizens to report drug traffickers anonymously, he said, while adding that all the police officers have been directed to act promptly on tips received via this Helpline, he added.
Post this public meeting, the Special DGP Punjab also held a meeting with Commandants of Border Security Force (BSF) to review the security arrangements at the border and further strengthen the second line of defence.
During his whirlwind visit to Tarn Taran district, Special DGP Arpit Shukla also made a surprise visit to three Police Stations Sarhali, Patti and Harike in Tarn Taran, where he inspected the facilities and interacted with police personnel.
He also reviewed the security arrangements at the police stations and issued directions to the SHOs regarding the deployment of personnel, station records, and other crime-related issues.
Earlier, the Special DGP also held a meeting with gazetted officers, and station house officers (SHOs) to assess the law-and-order situation of the region and directed the police officers to strengthen the security of the citizens of District Tarn Taran. He also held a special meeting with retired police officers from the Punjab Police to listen to their problems, and instructed senior officers to address their issues on a priority basis.