Haryana DGP O P Singh asked police officers on Friday to be among people with a courteous and cooperative attitude and keep policing “friction-free”.

The top cop also underscored the need to keep up with future generations and advised officers to observe their lifestyles with curiosity.

In a message to the police commissioners, superintendents of police, and deputy commissioners of police across the state, Singh elaborated on his understanding of crime and suggested action in accordance with a broader classification.

Ninety per cent of people mind their own business, and their expectation is that if they ever encounter a thug, thief, or a rogue, the cops will help them in the situation, he said.

“Adopt a cooperative attitude and show promptness in verifications. Provide a sitting area for visitors to your office, outpost, or police station, where there is tea, water, newspapers, and magazines, and a well-mannered police officer available to listen to their problems and provide a solution,” he added.

Singh requested personnel to offer the same respect to victims that they would offer to an officer one rank above them. “Make checking pinpointed and information-based,” the DGP told them.

According to him, four to five per cent of people fall into theft and fraud due to poverty, compulsion, or unknowingly. Instead of filling jails with them, connect them with government schemes, he suggested, while adding that it’s possible they’ll earn a living by working hard.

Reiterating this approach, Singh said the two to three per cent of people who might slap or punch someone in anger don’t need to be sent to jails either, emphasising the space for healing and reconciliation.

“Now, only one or two per cent remain. They have made fraud and deception their profession and hobby... Confiscate their ill-gotten gains. Make jail their permanent destination,” he said.

If they stay outside, they will continue to harass someone or the other, he added.

On dealing with children and younger individuals (Gen Y, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha), the DGP asked officers to respect them just as they would their own children. “They are the future,” he asserted.

“As for girls, sisters, and mothers, give them the same respect you give me. They are the foundation of society. They constitute half the country’s population,” he said.

Officers should adapt policing to women’s needs and give them the opportunity to live without fear, he added.

In his message, he further reminded officers that the system has given them the chance to actively contribute to building society and the nation.