Mumbai top cop wants all police stations to adopt 8-hr shifts by Jan 1

New work hours will give overweight cops time to get in shape say seniorsWhen Deonar police constable Ravindra Patil met newlyappointed Commissioner of Police Datta Padsalgikar on February 5 neither knew the innocuous meeting would be the beginning of a neverbefore shakeup in the city police Patil offered a revolutionary idea Slash cop shifts to eight hours in line with corporate work cultureA month later the wheels of change began to turn By June police stations in each zone started reducing their shift timings to eight hours Today around 45000 constables and officers in 40 of the 94 police stations in the city are enjoying the benefitsAgent of change Ravindra PatilPadsalgikar is so determined to ensure the implementation of this worklesstoworkmore policy that he has warned of departmental action against those police stations that fail to bring in the new work schedule by January 1 next yearmidday had on September 29 run an exclusive report on the Mumbai Policersquos plan to slice working hours for the wellbeing being of police personnel and effective policingNo getting past itAt a meeting with police officials 10 days ago Padsalgikar made it clear that excuses would no longer be tolerated ldquoAll police stations must adopt the eighthour shift by New Yearrsquos Day Donrsquot give excuses Chalk out a plan for your police stations Start with station houses and constables if not the entire police station but get movingrdquo he is said to have told the gatheringOverweight police personnel have often been trolled The new work timings will give them ample time to get in shape Picture for representationRecalling the commissionerrsquos orders a source told midday that police stations can no longer cite staff shortage to get an exemption ldquoMore staff is being hired The eighthour shift is doable An expert panel has said so too If someone thinks itrsquos not feasible she should come forward and justify itrdquo Padsalgikar told the officialsSwearing by the successThe naysayers should have a word with Sunil Vare 53 Deonar police constable He was with Azad Nagar police station when he developed excruciating pain in the legs ldquoI couldnrsquot walk or stand for long periodsrdquo he recalls Vare sought a meeting with Padsalgikar explained his health condition and was transferred to Deonar police station in August The station was the first to adopt the new work timings on a trial basis in March ldquoSince then my life has changed Earlier the commute and duty collectively took 1416 hours of my day Now it has reduced to less than 10 hours I can give time to my family and my needsrdquo says Varemiddayrsquos September 29 report on the new work timingsIn 15 years of service the constable from the eastern zone hadnrsquot been attend a single Open Day at his sonrsquos school ldquoWith the eighthour shift I was able to attend it for the first time this year that too without seeking a concession from seniorsrdquoThe wife of a constable in the central zone says she is relieved that she now knows when her husband will return home ldquoThe new hours allow us to spend quality time togetherrdquoA police officer in the eastern zone claims that there has been a drop in minor crimes since adopting the new timings three months ago He said ldquoWith three eighthour shifts police presence in public places has increased There are few petty fights and arguments and thereby fewer noncognisable complaints In the long run the schedule will bring down the number of serious offencesrdquoA report on the new schedule prepared in June indicated a notable change in the staffrsquos behaviour no more dour faces and its efficiency said a senior official ldquoThis gave us the confidence that the plan could be implemented across the cityrdquo he said