Police personnel spent the better part of the weekend exchanging their weapons and lathis for brooms and dusters for a sort of spring cleaning. Across stations, personnel were seen dusting tables, polishing furniture, tidying files, waging a war against dust bunnies and cobwebs, and ensuring that their premises were spick and span.
The source of this new-found enthusiasm for housekeeping is the Police Commissioner, who, after visiting a few stations expressed his dismay about their condition. A circular was issued instructing officers to ensure that their stations were clean. “We are on a tight deadline to clean the stations within 15 days or face the consequences,” said an officer.
Following the orders, police inspectors summoned their staff on Saturday and set up teams who were assigned cleaning jobs. There are teams for dusting and mopping jobs, and others have been put in charge of cleaning fans, the ceiling, bathrooms, furniture, etc., said personnel at Banashankari and Cubbon Park stations.
Other police stations are following a similar plan of action. Teams have been asked to remove unused vehicles and other eyesore from the premises, wash walls, clean the armoury and take up even maintenance of garden. “This exercise is a new experience for us. It has given us a sense of perspective on cleanliness,” said a senior police officer who is part of the cleaning drive.
The condition of washrooms in stations was an area of concern, which was tackled on a war footing. In some stations, the number of seized vehicles on the premises was the problem, while in others, the personnel realised that seized goods were stored haphazardly, consuming unnecessary space. “Many stations are actually looking decent now,” said a police constable.
Inspectors admitted that cleanliness and basic maintenance work had taken a back seat, given their case loads and long work hours. “Due to the hectic schedule and the nature of work, staff tend to forget that keeping their workplace clean is also part of the job,” said an inspector.
Police officials hope that the exercise will inculcate a feeling of responsibility among the staff. “It’s the duty of the every police personnel to keep his/her work place clean. Being a part of the disciplined force, they cannot ignore cleanliness,” said Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao.