Police needs to maintain its positive image
An open letter to DGP JK by Kanchan Basu
Respected Sir,
Modern Indian Police system is a creation of British Rule. The present era through which the police system is passing has come up after many recommendations of its reformation, but still the image of the police is lacking proper recognition in the Society.
Maintaining the positive image of the police has always been a challenge and still the situation as it is. A lot of efforts are required to be pushed in to bridge the gap between Police and Society. Police required securing the willing cooperation of the Public in voluntary observance of the Law to be able to secure and maintain the respect of the Public.
The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it. The digital age is a factor that in a moment misdeeds of a police official go viral across the boundaries.
Some frequent daily activities of the ‘Khaki’ uniformed person fuel a negative impression and source of these activities is the lower rung constabulary that is most visible in public places. This is the police face that frequently concurs with the common man that forms his opinion about police image.
As we move on the upper hierarchy ladder, their presence in public becomes thinner. The supervisory level at the Sub-Divisions and at the District level becomes more confined to their offices or attending to V.I.P.’s. Hence the upper Police layer loses sight of the maximum daily activities that fuel a negative image of the Police, done by the lower level of the Police that mostly concur with the common man.
So the general impression about the image of the police by the common man is adduced from the lower rung deployment of the Police. Simply stated, it’s not what Police say to the Public about how good Police are at policing but it’s what the public feels about the police based upon what they see every day.
We find a number of senior Police Officers of National and State cadres are nominated for specialized training sessions, conferences, and Police meets in and outside the country to interact and to formulate strategies for improving the efficiency of Police function as to be more people friendly police and to improve the police image in the eyes of the public. But practically speaking their enhanced vision because of their interactions and conferences, fail to bring a desired change among the deployment of the force on ground in improving the relations.
An exhaustive study coupled with the practical experience has enriched the writer to point out certain activities that are motioned on daily basis by the police officials and that fuel a negative image of the Law enforcing agency. An advisory is expected from DGP of J&K on following activities detrimental to the police image:
1. Police display the perception special privilege that fuels the image of the Police. Anytime a Police Officer uses the position of authority to gain an advantage, the Public loses some respect. Being in a position of authority doesn’t necessarily mean that someone has a legal right over others. Instead, it refers to the Power to tell the others what to do.
2. Most irritating behavior of Police Officials escorting VIP vehicles is displayed when they violate the rights of other users of the road and push them to stopping their vehicles and this is nothing but a display of special privilege and over reaction and over doze of faithfulness of the Police to a particular section of the Society, they escort.
3. Maintaining the Traffic system at busy points by hitting the vehicles by batons and sticks and use of vulgar lexicon against vehicle drivers is one of the main factors of loading muzzles against Police image.
4. Driving recklessly and / or unnecessary speeding in a Police vehicle. Since Police is Law enforcing agency to check speeding and reckless driving it is no surprise that the citizens are infuriated, when they notice a Police vehicle speeding by or driving erratically.
5. Talking on a mobile device while driving a Police vehicle. We get the fact that most Police personnel, while driving a Police vehicle engage themselves talking and texting on the cell phone and the Public users of this activity are booked by the same agency. Here again, not only does it fuel a negative image, but it is dangerous as well.
6. Not wearing seat belts in a Police vehicle. Police Officials feel that they are exempted from the Law of Physics. It is felt that Police Officials themselves do not understand the importance of seat belts that they enforce upon Common Man and this is a fueling phenomenon for the image of the Police.
7. Parking the Police vehicle in a ‘No Parking’ zone, whereas the treatment meted out to Common Public for similar act is huge fine, ticketing and even picking up of the vehicles. This sort of the violation for the similar act by the Public as a blatant disrespect for the law.
8. The word ‘Uniform’ loses meaning when we find this uniformed force violating several variations of attire. But wearing these unsightly so-called uniforms creates a negative image to the Police Community and it becomes fodder for Police critics.
9. Cops must rise above the rude behavior, vulgar and abusive addresses and maintain courageous calm in the face of danger, scorn or ridicule. Again very fundamental yet a key factor in projecting a positive image.
10. The Traffic Polices takes bribe openly from ‘Vehicle’s Driver’. It tarnishes the ‘Image and Creditability’ of Police.
11. Last few years the death cases under ‘Police Custody’ are increasing rapidly. It is very dangerous indication for ‘Society’ because these occurrences are destroying the ‘Believe and Respect’ for ‘LAW and POLICE’ from ‘PUBLIC’.
12. All Law Enforcement Agencies have Policies in place that forbid the acceptance of gratuities, yet Police Officers always seem to find the places who are willing to offer them. There is no need to discuss the merits of this issue in depth, but it’s worth mentioning as a factor negative Police imagery.
The positive image of the Police is not up to the mark. Police Service Organization’s Leaders must take a step back and evaluate these negative factors and others to determine the reasons thereof.
But it takes great courage to reel it back in and address all of the negative aspects. It’s time to get back to some basics elaborated in the preceding discussion. An advisory on daily negative activities by police personnel is solicited from the leader of police force to be adhered from top to lowest rung police official on the above basics, but of utmost importance in nature that contribute a lot in fueling the image of the Police in general.
The writer is a columnist and Member of Indian Journalists’ Association. He is based at Kolkatta
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