Establishment of Community Police Centre (CPC) at Drugyal, Tsento, Paro
Yesterday on 09 February 2015, Thrimdag Chichhab Kipchu Namgyel, the Chief of Police inaugurated the Community Police Centre at Drugyal under Tsento Gewog in Paro. The opening ceremony was attended by the representatives from Paro Dzongkhag Administration, Chief Representative of JICA, the Gups and other Local Leaders from Tsento, Dotey, Shaba, Lango and Luni Gewogs and the members of the community of Tsento. This is the 10th Community Police Centre being established in and around the country by the Royal Bhutan Police, the six others being in Khasadrapchu, Babesa, Changjiji, Changzamtog, Moithang and Taba under Thimphu, one in Kanglung under Trashigang and the two others in Nobding and Zawakha respectively under Wangduephodrang.
In his inaugural speech, the Chief of Police outlined that the CPCs are being established with the overall objectives to foster police-community relations for building public confidence, to prevent and reduce crime through mutual cooperation and support for safety and security, and finally as service to the community through proactive policing for faster response and reach of police services to the community. The Chief of Police stated that the CPCs will take up the role of responding to any incidents of crime, constantly move around the neighborhood for interaction, meet frequently with the local leaders and the community, attend to domestic violence and distress calls and take up discussion with the community to prevent any criminal acts in their jurisdiction.
The Chief of Police informed the gathering that the CPCs are found very beneficial in preventing and reducing the incidences of crime in the community as shown through the experiences of Thimphu which has six CPCs that recorded a total reduction to 891 crimes in 2014 as against 1314 in 2013, with a reduction of 423. In this connection, the Chief of Police extended special gratitude to the office of JICA for mobilizing six Police Patrol Cars for the six CPCs in Thimphu from the Government of Japan which has helped the police in its mobility to carry out proactive crime prevention activities and to respond immediately to distress calls. The Chief of Police also thanked the support of the government, the stakeholders and the community for their close partnership and further called upon the members of the community of Tsento to extend their full support and assistance to the Community Police Centre at Drugyal in contributing towards protecting and making our societies much safer and secure.
