State police chief cracks down on officers posting macho images with their weapons on social media, saying it is against service rules
API Anil Katake
Mumbai cops who posted Dabangg selfies with their guns on Facebook have put a target on their own backs. From constables to senior officers, several policemen can be seen posing with lethal weapons such as pistols, revolvers and AK47 rifles on their profile pictures.
This has caught the attention of the top brass as well, who believe that such display of service weapons is against the rules of the force, and departmental action should be taken in such cases.
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Constable P Pawar
Errant cops may have thought they were being cool and macho with their Singham selfies on Facebook, but senior police officials pointed out that posing with guns is just not done.
PS Pasricha, former director general of police, said, "This is a childish activity, to pose with your service weapon on social media. Young officers should use social media to share information and create awareness about fighting crime. Why do you want to show your service revolver to everyone?"
Constable A Sanas
Senior IPS officials said that even when they issue a weapons licence to civilians, there is a clause that clearly mentions that the applicant should avoid display of weapons in a public place.
"Even civilians are not suppose to pose on camera with their licenced revolvers, so it is out of question for police officers. It is unethical; weapons are allotted by the government not for social media photos, but for the safety of citizens," said former IPS officer Madhu Shinde.
PSI Dilip Jadhav
mid-day browsed Facebook and found several cops from across the city who had unabashedly shot selfies with a variety of firearms on their personal accounts, in and out of uniform. Some had even posted these as their profile pictures.
Satish Mathur, another former DGP, said, "Service weapons are meant to perform duty, not for posing on social media. The rules are very clear even for regular citizens who possess weapons licences. You cannot flaunt your weapon on social media. The reporting authority can take action against cops who do so."
PSI Krishna Gore
'Will take action'
Dattatray Padsalgikar, Director General of Police (Maharashtra), told mid-day, "I recently held a meeting with senior officials and strictly informed them not to post any inappropriate pictures or comments on social media. There are certain service rules and police officers should abide by them. We will examine [the pictures] and take action appropriate action."
PSIs Kadam Ganesh
Neal Sonawane
Head Constable Deepak Thakur flaunt their weapons
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