Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey: ‘Nobody can use the police. We don’t work by insinuation, persuasion or inclination’ | Idea Exchange News,The Indian Express

Sanjay Pandey has been in the news ever since he was the unexpected pick of the MVA government for the top job as CP. A no-nonsense officer, he has attempted a makeover of the city police by sharing his personal mobile number with citizens and not towing vehicles.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey talks about the need to be responsive towards citizens, political interference in probes, playing by the rulebook and his advocacy of a new Citizens’ Forum Bill. The session was moderated by Special Correspondent Mohamed Thaver.

Mohamed Thaver: The assumption, whenever a new police commissioner took charge of Mumbai, was that he’d go after traditional offences like street crimes. You have changed that image by connecting with citizens on social media, sharing your mobile number and focussing on issues like harassment by housing society committees and noise pollution. What’s the feedback?

As the Commissioner of Police, which is an executive charge, administration is one part of the role. But most of it is directed towards citizens. So, it was a no-brainer that I would follow the role as intended.When I joined as a DGP of Maharashtra, I had shared my number with all 2.25 lakh constables across the state. Now I have shared it with  2.5 crore citizens.  Initially, I got hundreds of calls and text messages. Now I receive a minimum of 70 to 75 text messages every day.  Footfalls have increased as I have encouraged people to walk into our office after 3 pm. So about 80 people show up every day. And then we have constables as well, 40 to 60 of whom I meet every day. I stay in office till the last person goes. I think our effectiveness down the line, as far as administration goes, has improved.

Mohamed Thaver: In the 90s, Mumbai was seen as the hotbed of the underworld and later, street crime. Is the crime spiral under control?

On my social media, you see talk about traffic, construction, noise pollution and so on. But what you’ve not seen and heard is our internal talk and briefings, which are basically on crime, from robberies, chain snatchings, motor vehicle thefts to house break-ins. Crime hasn’t come down but the control mechanisms are better and each offence is being registered.

https://indianexpress.com/article/idea-exchange/idea-exchange-interview-sanjay-pandey-mumbai-police-commissioner-7966380/


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