India is lacking quality police personnel to maintain law and order and in investigating crimes. In this context, discuss the structural flaws of policing and recommend measures to overcome it.
(200 Words )
Refer - The Hindu
.Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands
IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
Structural Flaws in Policing
· Postings were based on patronage, and it was not possible to deploy the best people for the most difficult tasks.
· The Police stations were always short of money, and personnel spent from their pocket on stationery and other needs.
· They reported being overworked, on duty 24 hours a day, with high stress; families got neglected; majority of police personnel lived in the nearby city because of lack of housing, schools and health facilities in that area.
· They cost of travelling from the police station to home(vice-versa) everyday, not properly compensated. They saw themselves as underpaid and not respected.
· The police personnel showed poor understanding about enforcing the law.
· The village people feared and avoided the police as they listened to those who had money. Eg: extraction of money from vehicles plying the highway; when an FIR was lodged, the police evinced sympathy for the victims as well as the accused, and took money off both to solve the case.
Measures to overcome the flaws
· As per the Second Administrative Commission, training needs to be made an attractive option for the trainers. This can be done through provision of better facilities and attractive allowances. This will attract motivated trainers.
· There is a need to stipulate humane working hours for policemen. Some states have already done so. Kerala has introduced eight hour duty system in its Police Act, becoming the first state. Haryana has also gone for the shift system.
· The 5th Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission has supported the need for undertaking major housing construction programmes for them. This would help them give their best to national service.
· Infrastructure needs a total overhaul. To support the policemen, transport and communication facilities need to be expanded and upgraded. To augment forensic support, there is a need to have forensic laboratories in each district or at best at Divisional/Range levels.
· As suggested by the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh v. Union of India, “the investigating police shall be separated from the law and order police to ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved rapport with the people.”
Nandadeep 5 years
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IAS Parliament 5 years
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quoting ARC reports, Prakash singh case 2006. Keep Writing.
