The policing duty in democratic India is on the firing line facing a serious identity crisis – recent reports on cases of rape , senior officers found dancing with underground dons in Mumbai during a new year eve party ,arrested suspected terrorists escaping from police custody and a host of other incidents have marred the reputation of our police force significantly. As it is , the general public in India have very little respect for our police force’s imaprtiality, adherence to rules and capability in detection or prevention of crimes.
The malady has deep roots right from the early seventies when politicisation of our police force began in a big way. Selection, recruitment and placements were based on political considerations largely and senior officers were transferred overnight when they crossed the paths of powerful politicians or the mafia groups in metros who enjoys political patronage . We did have a few honest and capable police chiefs like Rebeiro in Mumbai, Gill in Punjab or Kiran Bedi in Delhi but they were exceptions rather than the norm.
I remember once a police commissioner in Hyderabad telling some of us that less than one percent of the general public have established criminal background but the policemen suspects the remaining 99 percent and behave with them with suspicion .
Our police force needs a thorough overhaul beginning with upgrading of minimum education, identification of the right attitudes and talent through psychometrics before selection and a decent compensation package to begin with. They should then be protected from political interference if required through suitable legislation and encouraged to work with other stakeholders in the society for confidence building. Policemen should have stable tenures and avenues for promotion and job rotation.They should also be trained in technology and psychology along with social and civic sciences.
Our country deserves better policemen and it is upto all of us to decide what standards we wish them to display.