Theni: The authorities in Kerala promoting the concept of people-friendly police -- Janamaithri Police -- need to take one police station here in Tamil Nadu as a model. One will also be forced to change the views on police personnel if one ever visits this all-women station. Smiling policewomen put people arriving there at ease as soon as they step in.

The police station is situated in a park of sorts amidst trees and an array of plants in pots. Its front yard has chairs and drinking water facility for visitors. 

Dispute resolution prime

Last year only 28 cases were registered at the police station.

Instead of registering a case against each and every complaint, the focus is on providing advice and counselling to find a solution, Inspector Mangayar Thilakam said.

Close to 90 per cent of complaints relate to domestic squabbles or issues cropping up out of love marriages, she added.

There are 3 counselling rooms, along with rooms for kids, at the station and the police personnel spend nearly 10 hours to counsel concerned people. The police officers facilitate free interaction between parties involved in a complaint.

It has 30 personnel including one inspector and two sub-inspectors.

After former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched all-women police stations in the early 1990s, such a facility was started at Theni in 1994. (Theni is only 70 km from Kerala's border town of Kumily in Idukki district.)

Remarkably, this all-women police station is fourth on this year’s list of best police stations in the country. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had collected relevant details to grade the police stations two months ago.

Kerala Police aims to improve the ties police and public with its Janamaithri Suraksha Project. People's participation is encouraged in crime prevention and intelligence sharing.