By Pradeep Singh
Gurgaon, Nov 25 (IANS): Gurgaon's new police chief, Navdeep Singh Virk, won't tolerate any corruption in the force and said his top priority was to win the hearts of citizens.
Virk, who was a senior superintendent of police in Gurgaon in 1999, also said that his mission was to encourage beat policing.
"Beat policing already exists but only on paper. I want to do some concrete work on the ground," Commissioner Virk told IANS, outlying his plans for this thriving business hub bordering the national capital.
"Delhi Police already has done well in this regard. We will train our men too.
"Policemen deputed for beat policing will be posted for long term on the job... at least more than 2.5 to three years so that he or she understands their area better," he added.
He said he will not only continue the existing schemes but strengthen them by incorporating new initiatives.
"SHOs and policemen who perform well will be honoured and rewarded," he said, referring to station house officers who head police stations and are mostly of the rank of inspector.
"On the other hand, the men in uniform will be punished for not performing their duties well," Virk warned.
"We will not tolerate any corruption or departure from standards or norms. The force will function systematically and will be people-friendly and service-oriented."
He said he was not going to shift or transfer SHOs and other senior police officers immediately. "I will take action on the basis of their work and performance."
Virk said he had issued orders that first information reports or FIRs should be registered without debating whether the crime took place within the jurisdiction of the police station or not.
Asked why Gurgaon's better known Mahatma Gandhi Road had become unsafe for women, Virk said he would see to it that it becomes a safe zone within one month.
Virk has represented India in various cyber security forums: in Washington DC (2004), Moscow (2002) and San Diego (2003).
A special software which Virk created to detect cybercrime is used by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A 1994 Haryana-batch IPS officer, Virk was the inspector general of police in charge of law and order in Haryana before his posting in Gurgaon.