Date:02/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/02/stories/2007070254120400.htm

Kerala - Kollam

Policing comes of age

Ignatius Pereira

Station security officers with 9 mm pistols tucked in holsters replace sentries

NEW-AGE LOOK: A station security officer at the Kollam West police station.

KOLLAM: Exit the sentry and enter station security officers. The sight of a constable standing in front of a station on sentry duty with a bayonet-fixed .303 rifle is slowly fading away. The sentry or ‘paaravu’ is being replaced by station security officers armed with sleek 9 mm pistols tucked in holsters. The change is being effected in phases.

Constables on sentry duty will no more have to lift the .303, place it on their shoulder, slap the butt and salute a senior officer entering or leaving the police station. They can now stand to attention and salute. Or in circumstances otherwise, whip out the 9mm from the holster.

In Kollam district, station security officers have replaced sentries in six police stations.

The stations are Kollam West, Oachira, Chadayamangalam, Kundara, Kottarakara and Karunagapally. The change has been effected on directives from the Director-General of Police vide order S178726/03-02-06-07. It is part of the measures to modernise the Kerala Police.

The duty hours of station security officer have also been altered. They will be on sentry duty for four hours each, in shifts from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. At night, the station security officers will change duty every two hours.