Till now the Habibganj police station was housed in one of the shabbiest and most run down buildings in the locality. It was devoid of even elementary facilities like water and toilets not to talk of retiring rooms for the rest and recreation of the police station staff in their leisure time. The neglect was so obvious that during its tenancy the previous government ceded a portion of the plot meant for the police station building for the expansion of a petrol pump belonging to a close relation of a Minister in the then government.

If the present government is serious and not playing to the gallery, it should pay immediate attention to drastic augmentation of the staff of this police station that has been static at 68 for the last 10 years or more despite the fact that there has been a major spurt in population and serious crimes particularly the spate of incidents of chain snatchings and robberies. Further, the police station should be fully computerized for efficient delivery and the staff put through a crash course in polite behaviour with the members of the public visiting the police station with their complaints.

An accompanying report said that some 3 dozen motor cycles to be operated under the codename "Cheeta" had been placed at the disposal of the Bhopal police to keep watch on the activities of the criminals and to attend to emergency calls. It is a welcome move but the outcome will depend upon the dedication and enthusiasm of the policemen manning the service and the supervision exercized. Sadly, the police PCR vans stationed at different locations in the city to attend to emergency calls and keep check on the wayward motorists have done little to improve the tone of city's traffic.

Let us hope that this will be the harbinger of a new era of policing in Bhopal. Meanwhile the government may consider giving similar facilities to the police in other districts. While the capital city should serve as a role model in police reforms, without the rest of the districts following suit, there will be little impact on the overall quality of policing in the state.