Revamping the police

The Cabinet Committee on Security has taken a major step by approving a Rs 25,000-crore outlay for upgrading the internal security apparatus in states. Even though police is a state subject, the Centre has taken the lead, with a special focus on J&K, the North-eastern states, and those affected by Left-wing extremism. There is little doubt that the infusion of resources will provide a boost to the under-equipped police force. Yet the focus is on equipment, which alone will make only a limited difference.

Indian citizens have little love for the police force. Indeed, the first image of a policeman is of a person wielding the baton. With as many as 24 per cent vacancies in states, and a sanctioned strength far short of that recommended by the UN, the police battles with a chronic shortage of manpower that severely impacts basic policing as well as investigation. The overburdened staff has been known to take shortcuts, thereby attaining an abysmal conviction rate. It is widely recognised that political control over the police has led to a serious erosion of credibility of the force, and frequently its misuse. Various commissions and expert committees have stressed on the need for independent oversight of policing. 

The Supreme Court, through its judgment in 2006, ordered the Centre and the states to lay down guidelines for police functioning, evaluation of performance, posting and transfer decisions, and a mechanism to address the complaints of misconduct by men in uniform. The response of the political class was to effect cosmetic changes, with minimal easing of political control, if at all. Procuring new equipment will only yield the desired results after the basic requirements of human resources have been addressed. Fundamentally, there is a need for attitudinal change among policemen, and those they report to. Implementing various reforms in the spirit of the 2006 judgment, in conjunction with infrastructure and equipment improvement, can bring about a sea change, but the elephant in the room is: Do our political leaders have the will and the sagacity to let go of what has too often been a blunt instrument of political control and state coercion?