Kerala police have many times brought in innovative campaigns to connect better with the public. This time it is ‘Goonda Vandi’, launched in Kottayam district.

It is a police bus that will take rounds in all the key places of the district and will give Powerpoint presentations to the public providing awareness about the criminals in a particular area.

The project intends to give information about the hardcore criminals in the area so that people don’t fall prey to them. Police have named the bus Goonda Vandi, and it was flagged off on Wednesday from Pala police station by DSP N Ramachandran.

The criminals have been divided into three categories --hardcore, active and inactive--based on the intensity of their crimes, The Times of India reports.

The presentations will show photographs and all other details of the criminals. The first presentation in Pala stated that there were 24 hardcore criminals, 20 active criminals and 113 inactive criminals in the area, the report says. 

This project has been launched as part of Operation Goonda, an initiative to tackle criminals, which was first started in Kochi. 

“Apart from cops, auto rickshaw drivers and other sections of the public will get to know about the criminals residing in their area,“ said the SP, ToI reports.

Another project by Kerala Police to maintain a better relationship with the public was announced in the beginning of April. This initiative plans to make police stations child-friendly by adorning the station walls with children’s favourite cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse instead of the usual wanted posters.

The initiative was part of the Children and Police Programme (CAP). The project will be implemented on a pilot basis in five police stations and later extended to others, Kerala DGP had told media earlier this month.