Pune Police Appoint 2383 Special Police Officers for housing societies
Pune, April 20, 2020: In the last five days, Pune city police have appointed 2383 special police officers (SPO) among chairman/secretary of housing societies, to keep watch on people who violate the lockdown order. As the numbers of Coronavirus cases are rising in Pune every day, Pune city police are facing manpower crunch to keep an eye on people everywhere. Police are also busy in enforcing the curfew and need additional hands.
Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Ravindra Shisve had told Punekarnews.in, “There are provisions in the law to appoint special police officers (SPOs) when more manpower is required. These SPOs will inform their society members about various instructions related to lockdown. They will also inform the local police station about people who are seen violating the lockdown rule like not staying at home, or going for walk, coming out of home unnecessarily etc.”
According to police, only non-political persons are being appointed by the Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) based on the recommendation of the local police station. “Earlier retired police/Army officers used to be appointed but now society secretary/chairman is being appointed as people will listen to them”, he added.
DCP (Zone 4) Pankaj Deshmukh said, “The SPOs work includes informing the local police station about lockdown violation incident. We are also monitoring roads, chowks through CCTV cameras. People should take things seriously and stay at home as cases of Coronavirus are increasing in Pune.”
Coronavirus positive cases reach 734 in Pune district
According to Pune district health officer (DHO), till 7 pm today, the number of Coronavirus positive patients has reached 734 out of which 50 have died while 78 have been cured and discharged from hospitals. There are 605 active patients in the district. Out of 734 patients, 625 are from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 58 from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and 51 from Pune rural areas.
