Cops to take SPOs' help this festival season

LUCKNOW: After the successful use of community policing during the tense situation before and after the Ayodhya verdict, the police have probably for the first time decided to use the special police officers once again this time during visarjan processions and other religious activities in the state capital.
The move comes in wake of huge shortfall (about 50 per cent) of the police force, as around 1,640 cops have been sent to other districts on panchayat election duty.
The Lucknow police as part of their preparation to quell any tension following Ayodhya verdict had nominated around 900 special police officers which were assigned the basic job of ensuring peace in their respective areas.
Since festival season has begun and most of the cops have gone on panchayat election duty, a need was being felt to ensure peaceful completion of visarjan and other religious celebration which began with the advent of Navratri.
The active participation of these 900 special police officers -- nominated by the DIG -- during pre and post-Ayodhya verdict had actually helped the police force tremendously in ensuring peace prevailed in the state capital, said an additional superintendent of police.
This way, the shortage of the police force would be covered by the presence of these special police officers.
A list of sensitive areas in the city and big processions for visarjans and other religious celebrations would be sought, said DIG Rajeev Krishna. The citizen police would then be deployed in these sensitive points to ensure smooth passage of religious celebrations, he added.
The SPOs would mainly be used for smooth passage to processions which pass through sensitive areas in the state capital, said the DIG. Similarly, their help would also be sought at other religious celebrations which would be organised in sensitive areas.
Going by the rules for using the community police, they would be used as helping hand for the cops during the festival season. Troublemakers this time also will be dealt with an iron hand as always, say the police. The police plan to use these special police officers in their respective police station areas. Officials firmly believe that the SPOs would volunteer their cooperation once the list of sensitive places and processions is finalised.
The DIG said that the additional superintendents of police would be asked to identify the sensitive places and request the SPOs to come out and help the police force in ensuring peace and harmony.
By an estimate, over 100 pandals have been erected throughout the state capital in view of the Navratri festival which began on October 8. Besides, jagrans and other religious celebrations could be seen at every nook and corner of the city these days.