In a move to motivate the constabulary strength, P. Vijayakumar, Superintendent of Police, Tirupathur has introduced a ‘Cop of the Week’ award for those who perform well in his jurisdiction. One policeman will be selected every week, based on recommendations from the public as well as their superiors in the department.
Mr. Vijayakumar has also introduced a mobile number -- 9486242428 -- to which the recommendations can be sent. Members of the public can also send short videos of the good work done by police personnel. As of now three persons -- one civilian from Jolarpet and two policemen -- have recommended names of three policemen for the awarsd.
There are around 800 police personnel in the district. “The reward is for grade I, grade II, head constables and special sub-inspectors. This is a method followed by organisations to improve efficiency of their staff. We follow it in the police department too,” Mr. Vijayakumar explained.
The awards are based on various criteria including providing support in the arrest of an accused in an important case, handling petitions, assisting in maintenance of station records and getting appreciated by the public for performing his/her duty well. Until now the names of well-performing constables were recommended by the inspectors or DSP. “We thought that residents could also suggest names, as they come in contact with the personnel and can judge their work. Hence we have introduced the mobile numbers. The respective police personnel can also recommend their names for the weekly award,” he added.
The constable will be selected after proper scrutiny and will be awarded every Monday. “The award includes a cash reward, a certificate of appreciation and a book,” added Mr. Vijaykumar.
