R K Padmanabhan.
Pimpri-Chinchwad’s own Police Commissionerate will start functioning from Independence Day. Initially, the Police Commissionerate will operate from the Auto Cluster premises in Chinchwad and shift to Premlok Park area once the new building is ready.
The new Police Commissionerate promises to be people-friendly. “We will be people-friendly… they won’t have to come to us, we will go to them,” R K Padmanabhan, the first police commissioner of Pimpri-Chinchwad, told The Indian Express.
On residents’ allegations that in Pimpri-Chinchwad, police were rude and unfriendly, Padmanabhan said he would try to correct that image. “I will try to ensure that the police force remains available to the people all the time and remains polite and friendly,” he said.
Padmanabhan said that despite a manpower shortage, all efforts would be made to provide effective policing. “Our objective is to provide effective policing and bring down the crime rate,” he said.
“We want the police to be people-friendly…,” said activist Shridhar Chalkha.
Anita Landge, president of Damni Bachat Gat, said people in Pimpri-Chinchwad fear going to police chowkies and police stations.
“This is because police are rude, non-cooperative and impolite. The police force need to be taught to be humane which will let citizens to approach them without fear,” she said.
The new police commissionerate will have 15 police stations including Sangvi, Wakad, Chinchwad, Pimpri, Bhosari, Bhosari MIDC, Nigdi, Dighi and Hinjewadi (all from the existing DCP Zone 3 jurisdiction).
The six from rural Pune areas that will be part of the new commissionerate include Dehu Road police station, Talegaon MIDC, Talegaon Dabhade, Chakan, Chikhali and Alandi.
The state government has sanctioned 4,840 posts for the new commissionerate.