Mangaluru: Drugs issue gets sidelined during phone-in programme

MANGALURU: The Mangaluru city police held a special phone-in programme with a focus on drug abuse grievances, but not a single phone call was received related to the topic. Instead, all the calls were related to traffic issues.
As a part of crime prevention month, the Mangaluru city police had been organising various public awareness programmes. The anti-drug drive was one among them.Vikash Kumar Vikash, city police commissioner, to receive grievances related to drug abuse in the city, had organised a special phone-in programme for the public on Friday. “We did not receive any calls from the public related to drugs. It is a sign that police have been able to bring drug abuse under control in the city. Nevertheless, the drive will continue in each police station limit. I have instructed officials to increase awareness on this issue,” he said, adding that most of the complaints received were related to traffic.
On being asked if the weekly phone-in programme that was stopped a year ago, will be relaunched, Vikash Kumar said, “Today, police officers are easily approachable on social media platforms, through phone and also at police stations. With such access, there is no requirement to have a separate platform to address grievances. Meanwhile, police personnel have been directed to attend to each and every complaint from residents,” he added
Parking woes flood phone-in
Callers questioned the Mangaluru city police as to when parking lots used for commercial purposes will be cleared. A caller said that the city police had submitted a detailed report of parking lot violations to the Mangaluru City Corporation. However, even after two months of submitting the report, no progress was made in this matter. The Mangaluru city police had identified close to 50 parking violations in Mangaluru. Vikash Kumar replied that the police are now concentrating on no-parking violations, and notices will be served to all 50 establishments.”
There was also a caller who complained about haphazard parking near Saibeen Complex and Urwa Market. There was also a complaint that motorists and the public were facing difficulties near the Mangaluru North police station, due to parking of heavy vehicles beside the road