Ensuring passenger safety and making it easier to reach for help, the Government Railway Police constables and head constables in Bengaluru shared their business cards with passengers in Bengaluru Railway Division. The initiative was launched recently, giving a sense of identity to constables and even educate passengers about a force like GRP available for their safety. Moreover, commuters are reassured of safety when they know whom to call in case of distress.
The community outreach program is a first in India, wherein constables and head constables of Karnataka Government Railway Police can hand out their business cards to passengers. These cards will have essential information such as the name of the constable, his or her police station, landline number, email ID as well as mobile number. Using this information, people can reach out to the constables directly for help. These cards have "Happy to Help" both in English and Kannada, a welcoming message for the public to reach out freely.
"We have a total of 735 constables and head constables in our workforce who are being covered through this initiative. Those in Bengaluru City, Yesvantpur, Bangarpet and Cantonment stations in Bengaluru Division and Mysuru Division have started handing over their cards to the public already. We have given a maximum of 100 cards to each," Superintendent of GRP, Sira Gowri, said in a statement.
The initiative will soon be expanded to Kalburgi and Hubbali. Police constables in the GRP can choose to add their personal number of the cards as well. This gives the public an added sense of safety and even boosts police morale. Usually, only high-ranking police officers are given visiting cards, but this initiative ensures the constables feel responsible and alert to bring down crimes in trains and at railway stations.
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Making passengers feel safe
The police constables would carry these cards with them on their beat and give them to the passengers. In addition to physical cards, the constables in 10 stations across the state are given digital cards, which can be shared with passengers through WhatsApp.
"We wanted people to know where to report a crime, theft or if anything goes missing. We are the Railway Police, different from the Railway Police Force. People would often get confused about where to report such crimes. However, after we handed out the cards, people have been calling to enquire about many things like train schedules, booking office etc.," Gowri said.
These visiting cards are serving as a good ice-breakers for police constables, motivating them to interact with passengers on train and make them feel safe.
