The friends now learn to handle communal crisis

A three-day multimedia training for Friends of Police (FoP) and police officials organised by the district police concluded here on Monday.

Uma Maheswari, criminologist, and Usha Rani, psychologist, both trainers at the Police Training College in Chennai, were the resource persons. In all, 200 personnel from the Police Department and 200 from FoP were trained.

Ms. Maheswari said that various topics such as the role of FoP, community policing, equilibrium thinking for attitudinal change, team building skills, crime prevention, rapport building and problem solving were covered. The members of FoP were taught about methods to solve communal problems in an amicable manner.

Besides, inputs on disaster management techniques to combat situations in post-terror strikes would be given to them, she added.

The multi-media training conducted at 29 police districts and six Commissionerates helped the FoP and the police to solve crime quickly.

"The Government had allocated Rs. 40,000 to conduct each leg of the training," she said. The introduction of FoP movement in 1993 bridged the communication gap between the public and police, Ms. Maheswari said. At the inaugural , Superintendent of Police John Nicholson and Deputy Superintendents of Police Mohammed Ghori and Natarajamoorthy spoke.

Source: The Hindu