Mangaluru: Sood focuses on online outreach

MANGALURU: Twitterati can now reach out to DG&IGP Praveen Sood online. The state’s top cop who as Bengaluru city police chief was active on the microblogging site, has taken to Twitter within 72 hours of taking over the baton from his predecessor Neelamani N Raju. The state police down the line will make its presence felt on Facebook, as Sood feels that Twitter and Facebook complement each other.
Sood told TOI, “I am finding my feet as the head of the police force of the state, and recognise it is vitally important for the state police to make its presence felt online, just like some other police units in cities, especially the Bengaluru city police.” The Twitter handle that Sood opened @DgpKarnataka is apart from his personal handle @Copsview, and will be used to report achievements of what personnel in khaki do across the state. It will also give information on policy issues, he said.
Admitting that while there are ready models available for the state police Twitter rollout, Sood said he will need some time to put together a team that can operate this police handle in a professional manner. “Since my role as the head of the police is quite different from what it was when I was the top cop of the Bengaluru city police, the Twitter content will have to be modified to suit the responsibilities that this role bestows on me and my earlier experience will stand me in good stead,” he said.
Noting that when he took over as DG and IGP and searched for an account for this designation, he could not find one. The account has since been created, Sood said adding, “It is still not active, but you can understand the intent. It may take a week or so before the handle becomes active,” he said. The handle will be used to inform netizens of steps that the state police intends to take to meet his objective of citizen-centric policing, he said.
“The handle will also focus on cyber security and women’s security as it is the best possible medium to create awareness on issues that affect the common man and netizens alike,” he said.
Sood admitted he will have to start from scratch on Facebook, as the state police does not have a Facebook page, and a strategy must be developed to harness this social media platform. “There should be a full-fledged and operational page some six months down the line,” Sood asserted.