The Director General and Inspector General of Police M.A. Saleem has directed all police stations and unit officers across Karnataka to maintain regular engagement with retired police personnel, describing them as valuable assets to the department because of their vast field experience and institutional knowledge.

In a reminder issued on Monday (May 18), Mr. Saleem said that the retired officers and staff could significantly contribute to community policing by sharing information related to anti-social activities, drug peddling, smuggling and other unlawful activities in the areas where they reside.

The directive noted that retired police personnel possess years of expertise in investigation, intelligence gathering, crime prevention, crowd control, traffic management and community policing, which can continue to benefit the department even after retirement.

‘Strategic necessity’

Stressing that the initiative was a “strategic necessity” rather than merely an operational measure, the memorandum said regular interaction with retired personnel would help bridge the gap between police and the community while preserving institutional memory within the force.

As part of the initiative, all police stations have been instructed to maintain a dedicated register containing details of retired police officers and staff residing within their jurisdiction, including their rank, service details, contact numbers and addresses. Police personnel have also been directed to periodically visit retired officers and maintain regular contact with them.

Floral tributes

The memorandum further instructed Station House Officers to place floral tributes on behalf of the Head of the Police Force during the funerals of deceased retired police personnel as a mark of respect for their service.

Unit officers have also been directed to create awareness about the Health Bhagya Scheme for retired police personnel, assist them in availing benefits and invite them to departmental events such as Police Flag Day and annual police sports meets.

Senior officers visiting police units have been asked to meet retired personnel during their visits and review the implementation of the initiative in their respective jurisdictions.