Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Police Patils are the backbone of law and order in rural areas and must remain efficient, alert and updated to meet emerging challenges, Superintendent of Police (SP) Prakash Jadhav said.
He was speaking at the district's first-ever Police Patil Guidance Camp, organised in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday. During the programme, Police Patils were briefed on their statutory duties, responsibilities and the importance of preventive policing. 21 Police Patils were felicitated for their outstanding work, while all 573 Police Patils in the district received a 'Police Patil Duty Guide'.
Additional SP Prashant Swami, sub-divisional police officers, police station in-charges, branch heads, other officers and Police Patils attended the programme.
SP Jadhav said Police Patils are the first point of contact for maintaining peace, security and social harmony in villages. Timely information provided by them enables the police to take preventive action before serious crimes occur.
He said the role of Police Patils has expanded beyond traditional responsibilities. They are now expected to prevent the unauthorised installation of statues, maintain law and order during fairs, processions and festivals, preserve communal harmony, monitor rumours on social media, and promptly inform the police about suspicious activities, illegal businesses, narcotics-related offences and potential crimes.
The 'Police Patil Duty Guide' covers the Maharashtra Village Police Act, legal powers and responsibilities of Police Patils, preventive policing, disaster management, traffic awareness, police-public coordination and intelligence gathering.
21 Police Patils, including Santosh Gavande, Santosh Pagare, Bhalchandra Patil, Nitin Bagul, Balkrishna Samse, Jyoti Nikam, Nilesh Balsane, Raghunath Chavan and others, were felicitated for their exemplary service.
