Thiruvananthapuram Police distribute meals to patients

Thiruvananthapuram: Police jeeps don’t always ferry convicts. The jeep at Karamana Janamaithri  station  will be full of meal packets  on Saturdays to be given away at the General Hospital. For,  the police officials are coordinating an initiative offering free food to the patients. And that’s just one of the many Good Samaritan deeds that the police here have  taken up. The station’s community relations officer V. Venugopalan says, “the Janamaithri initiative helps the police make inroads into the everyday life of the people.”

They have managed to bring together 82 residents’ associations for the meal initiative. Each association which has around 200 houses has promised to provide at least 350 food packets, when their turn comes. “Never once did we have to remind them. They voluntarily ask for their turn,” says Mr Venugopalan.

The month’s activities are set in motion at a meeting held on the first Saturday of every month. “It is attended by the police, the residents’ associations as well as officials from the KSEB and KWA to address the people’s issues,” he says.

The police are so actively engaged with the community that they are sometimes spotted with the PTA of government schools to canvass students. They have also started free PSC classes every Sunday. More than 50 students benefit from the free tuitions.

There are some positive side effects to the initiatives. “Normally policemen come to know about a crime only after it is committed. But now, we have become more accessible and when people see that a fight is about to break out, they inform us. We also get to know if someone is staying alone, and needs extra protection,” says Venugopalan.