Cops to get helmets on their birthdays in Pune

PUNE: In an attempt to spread awareness about the importance of wearing helmets for safety, the Dattawadi police in the city has come up with a noble initiative to ‘gift’ helmets to the police personnel and their children on their birthdays.

Police on Tuesday started the initiative on the premises of the police station. The theme for the initiative has been decided as ‘Vadhdivasacha Divashi Phule Nako, Helmet Dya’ (Don’t give flowers on birthdays, gift helmets).

Senior inspector Devidas Gheware said that the entire staff of the police station gathers to wish the birthday ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ in the Khaki uniform. “We give them flowers but now we have decided to hand over helmets to them,” he said.

“The police personnel keep roaming in the area on their two-wheelers evaery day. It may be the simple patrolling or to responding to an emergency situation, police personnel prefer to use their two-wheelers. It is a risky affair, thus helmet is must,” Gheware said.

The Pune police commissioner K Venkatesham has already made helmets compulsory for the police personnel and Gheware said that police must start the helmet compulsion drive from themselves.

Gheware said that it is also important to keep in mind personal safety while helping other members of the society. “Thus, the initiative has been undertaken,” he said.