Reform Police Station

Context: Incidents of brutality, illegality, insensitivity, custodial violence and corruption points towards poor functioning of police stations.

Recent Incidents of incompetence and connivance of Police force

• Hathras rape and murder case
• Police encounter of the alleged accused in a rape case in Hyderabad.
• The custodial killing of a father-son duo of shopkeepers in Tamil Nadu.
• The killing of priests in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Issues with Police Stations in India

• Improper police infrastructure: of more than 20,000 police stations and police posts in India. 
• The sanctioned strength is too low: as compared to the need in many police stations. 
• The number of civil police sanctioned is 140 per lakh, but the actual strength is 102.
• There are about 50% vacancies in the police department
• Lack of basic facilities at police stations: According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development
• 188 police stations have only a single vehicle, 402 lack telephone lines, 134 don't have wireless sets, and 34 have neither a phone nor a wireless set.
• Overburdened policemen: with no rest or weekly off are unable to take the investigation in an efficient way without forensic support. (Police are guarding about 47,000 VIPs!)
• Poor amenities: 
• No government house: is allotted to the personnel and housing facilities for them are very poor. 
• Lack of clean drinking water and toilets: especially for policewomen, in many police stations.
• Decreased spending of the budget: about 4% of the total budget on an average.

Flawed Criminal Justice System

• Huge pendency of cases: More than three crore cases are pending in courts due to problems in judicial procedures. For, E.g. In the Nirbhaya case, it took eight years to hang the accused. 
• Political control of the judicial system: is continuing since the British Raj due to continuation of Police Act of 1861. 
• They control the recruitment and neglect the training aspect.
• They control the postings and transfers and bring prejudices in the functioning. 

• Nexus between politicians, criminals and policemen is resulting in failure of police leadership.

Conclusion: Police stations must be given all they need, including the freedom to enforce the rule of law.