For A Citizens’ Police

Context: India needs to implement Supreme Court directives in Prakash Singh Case (2006) to bring new police reforms.

Issues in policing in India

• Tardy implementation of reforms: Lack of public awareness and sustained interest in law enforcement, police-politician nexus, lack of fund and technology all contributes towards poor implementation of Police reforms.
• Vicious cycle of politician-police collusion: Where small-time criminals gradually become dons, threaten “inconvenient” persons, start their own extortion rackets or take to violence, adulteration or hoarding of essential commodities as local politicians successfully neutralise the police and other enforcement agencies.
• Practice of “cherry-picking”: Instead of merit, currently practice of appointments are based on closeness to the ruling party.
• Over-workload: The ‘Status of Police in India Report 2019’ (SPIR) found that “police personnel of nearly all the states (are) excessively over-worked, with average personnel working for 14 hours a day”.
• Crime against Police: Criminals like Vikas Dubey killing police officers.
• Police mis-conduct: Including Police brutality, excessive and unwarranted use of force by law enforcement, fake encounter killings, sexual harassment in Police stations etc.
• Non-people centric: Continuing attitude of colonial high headedness. Eg. Excessive policing during lockdowns.

Police reforms: Seven directives from Prakash Singh Case (2006) verdict

• The State Security Commission: It would also protect the police from unwarranted political pressures, enabling them to concentrate on core issues.
• Selection and Security of Tenure for the DGP: It involved the Union Public Service Commission for the selection of heads of state police forces.
• Security of Tenure for Officers on Operational Duties: Moving ahead from pleasure or displeasure of ruling party, fixed tenure to all operational heads gives adequate time to police leaders to implement their policies.
• Separation of investigation and law and order police: As both investigation and law and order are vital and specific police functions, and the move will encourage specialization and upgrade overall performance.
• Police Establishment Board: For unbiased postings, transfers, promotions and other service-related matters regarding police officers.
• Police Complaints Authority: At district and state levels to enquire into allegations of police misconduct or harassment and provide succour to the community.
• A National Security Commission (NSC): To prepare a panel for selection and placement of Chiefs of the Central Police Organisations (CPO) with a minimum tenure of two years.

Conclusion: The police reforms is in the interest of citizens. The Supreme Court has laid down a clear and cogent process for creating citizen-centric police. The onus of getting it implemented is entirely on us.