The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Shri Pema Khandu, recently launched Northeast’s First Tourist Police in the presence of key government functionaries, including the Director General of Police (DGP) SBK Singh. Further, Tourist Police’s mobile app, Arunachal Suraksha, a brainchild of Shri Singh was also present. The initiative is being launched in 7 districts of the state, including Tawang, Itanagar, Ziro, Pasighat, Tezu, Namsai, and Changlang.
Each of the district has been provided with Scorpio vehicles fitted with wireless communication equipment and manned by specially trained personnel to respond to the needs of tourists. The main focus of the initiative is to select and train manpower for this purpose, which will ensure that the interaction of tourists with police is positive. Due to various reasons, Tourists are reluctant to approach local police unless compelled by the circumstances.
“Safety is a key aspect for any tourist visiting a destination. The launch of Tourist Police in the state is one of the initiatives that Arunachal Pradesh Police has taken to address the perception and concern of tourists regarding safety. The initiative is being launched in seven districts of the state that includes Tawang, Itanagar, Ziro, Pasighat, Tezu, Namsai, and Changlang. Each of the districts has been provided with vehicles fitted with wireless communication equipment and manned by specially trained personnel to respond to the needs of any tourist in distress,” said Shri SBK Singh, Director General of Police (DGP), Arunachal Pradesh.
The Tourist Police with its distinctive vehicles, uniform and specialized training in soft skills, languages, rules and regulations and most importantly people friendly attitude aims to dispel any inhibitions a tourist may have while approaching them. Tourist Police personnel will be specially trained about crime against women and how to professionally respond to various situations concerning tourists. They will be also educated about the local tourist attractions and modes of transportation, accommodation, hospitals etc.
The unit will grow in the future by adding more destinations in the already covered districts and adding new districts as per needs. With continuous training, the personnel will become more professional towards the needs of tourists. The units will also be linked with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which is to be launched in Feb 2019. Arunachal Suraksha mobile App will also be launched along with Tourist Police unit.