Arup Patnaik,u00a0Mumbai's new police commissioner tells Poornima Swaminathan why his experience of being on the streets and dealing with the law makes him "confident of proving my mettle"

Arup Patnaik, who took over as Mumbai Police Commissioner after D Sivanandhan retired on March 1, says he believes in one-man command at the top, which, at the moment, involves him and no one else. Pics/Bipin Kokate and Sameer Markande

A day after Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Arup Patnaik took charge as Mumbai Police Commissioner, he did what he is best known for: leading from the front.

In the early hours of March 1, news spread about communal tension in Sewri. Patnaik, known to be a hands-on policeman, went to the area, and with the help of platoons from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), controlled the unruly mob.

His message was clear: people better behave themselves, because he means business. An officer from the 1979 batch, Patnaik promises to bring about practical changes in the force.

An interview:

What are your plans for the police force?
I will concentrate on core policing. The aim should be to help the common man who comes to the police station with a grievance. My officers have been briefed to act on every complaint, and not dismiss any case as petty. Help will be extended at all police stations to citizens who come in with problems and complaints.