Beat policing gaining popularity in rural areas
Anguished and fed-up by her husband's frequent torture, Farida Begum lodged a complaint with the newly established beat police office at her union in Satkhira's Debhata upazila in mid-October.
Police swung into action promptly, summoning her husband Jahangir Hossain of Jagonnathpur village to an arbitration attended by the beat police officer, local dignitaries and the local union parishad member concerned.
"Castigated for the misdeeds at the arbitration, Jahangir signed a bond promising he would no longer torture his wife," Sub-inspector Nayon Chowdhury, the beat officer of no-4 Noapara union, told The Daily Star over mobile phone last week.
Since the arbitration, Jahangir has not attempted to torture his wife, said local UP member Mizanur Rahman, adding that police managed to settle 25 such problems in the union alone since the beat policing initiative started around three months ago.
He said, "Earlier, both complainant and accused had to go to the police station, which is a few kilometres away, to file a case for such complaints. It cost them money and time."
SI Nayon said by involving local public representatives and locally respected persons, he tried to settle problems like family feuds, local clashes and even small land related disputes at the beat police office.
So, in many cases people do not need to go to the police station to file a case.
Beat policing is getting popular among a cross section of people in different districts as people are getting prompt service from police personnel in cases of criminal activities.
In police terminology, a beat is the territory and time a police officer patrols.
A union in districts, a ward in city corporation areas and three wards in municipalities are regarded as a beat patrolled by a sub-inspector assigned as the beat officer.
An assistant sub-inspector and two constables work under each beat in-charge.
They maintain a close connection with local people in respective areas and resolve problems, according to the SOP (standard operating procedure) of beat policing.
Police Headquarters (PHQ) expanded beat policing activities to union level following the directives of Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed.
Earlier, beat policing was present in Dhaka and some other metropolitan cities, police said.
According to PHQ, in August alone, 20,441 family problems were settled and 13,448 preventive measures were taken across the country through beat policing.
Now the total number of beats is 6,912.
Beat policing allows better utilisation of forces deployed at police stations and enhances capability to gather intelligence about crimes and law and order at local level, according to the officials at the Police Headquarters.
"One of our priorities is to take policing service to the doorstep of the people. The beat policing system will enable us to reach people more closely and easily," said Sohel Rana, assistant inspector general (media and public relations) at PHQ.
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