In an effort to make its police stations more people-friendly, a division of the Bengaluru City police has started an initiative to set up libraries on the premises of stations.
Police in the south-east division of Bengaluru have started libraries in 12 stations under it, with the latest one being inaugurated at the Begur police station on December 31 by the renowned theatre personality Arundhati Nag.
“The main intention behind opening libraries at police stations is to comfort and de-stress persons who come to file complaints as well as the police personnel since their jobs entail a certain amount of stress,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-east) C K Baba said.
The Jana Sneha libraries will have books, newspapers and magazines for visitors. The books are predominantly in Kannada and English across different genres and have been donated by citizens. “The sourcing of books, infrastructure and furniture for these libraries took months of hard work,” the South-east division police said.
The libraries are also intended to encourage people to reconnect with books in an era where electronic gadgets have taken over and to bridge the societal gap between the police and people, according to the South-east division police. “While waiting at the station, people can opt to read something they like,” DCP Baba said.
The libraries are also equipped with children’s books, sheets, crayons and other colouring material to engage children who may accompany their parents or guardians to the police station.
Incidentally, the Koramangala police station, where the South-east DCP’s office is located, set up a children’s play area and a creche in 2019 for working policewomen as part of a similar endeavour.