From Phillaur fort: Attempts to make better cops
Jupinderjit Singh in Phillaur
They call it Hydra room. It is equipped with multiple TV screens playing different news channels, computers on rows of desks with engineers tapping fast on the keyboard and various phone lines ringing continuously. At the centre sits a police officer, who has to quickly find a method in the chaos and adopt the best possible line of action.
Derived from Greek mythology, Hydra stands for multi-headed serpent or monster. The under-construction room is the most modern addition to the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy Phillaur, which is celebrating 125 years of its formation. Right from the rank of constable to the deputy superintendent of police, the Academy offers training courses immediately after recruitment besides promotional courses.
“Imagine any modern crime scene related to a terror attack on the lines of incidents in Gurdaspur and Pathankot or a major law & order problem. A police officer not only has to handle the investigation but also work in the chaos where people are nervous, rumours do the rounds, reporters keep calling for queries and the government has its own worries. The officer has to work amid all the chaos,” says IG Kuldip Singh, Director of the Academy.
“This is the most challenging situation in modern policing. We are setting up this room with the help of the UK police, who too have faced similar situations,” he said. The project: ‘Training programme for crime investigation and training’ is part of the celebration. The police are also putting basic training skills alongside knowledge of computers and social media skills. “The UK police has assisted us to prepare 56 officers with specialised training in the Academy,” says DGP Punjab Suresh Arora. The police are also setting up simulation facilities to help their men in detecting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). “In a special room, trainees have to identify and neutralize an IED. One false move and a fake blast occurs.”
“We need situations for training. The real incidents provide the best situation. The purpose is to make the trainee combat-ready always,” said Kuldip Singh.
After annexing Punjab, the British in 1861 converted the Fort of Mahraja Ranjit Singh into a military training school. In September 1891, it became a full-fledged police training school. Since then scores of police officers have received training or imparted it. Besides the British recruits in pre-Independence era, the Academy has trained police officers of almost all states of the country. Officials from other countries such as Afghanistan, Myanmar and Bhutan are also trained at the Academy.
“At a given time, the Academy trains at least 1,000 police personnel,” says Deputy Director Ravcharan Singh Brar. “At present we are training about 1,200 new recruits.”
The Academy is the first address for the training of recruits. Anyone inducted as a constable goes through training that may last a year. Later, he has to clear a training course for promotion to the next rank,” says Kuldip Singh.
A constbale’s job is mainly physical while as a head constable he also has to learn writing reports. Then, an assistant sub-inspector has to learn investigation skills and intricacies of the law. As a sub-inspector or an inspector, one has to learn management and leadership skills also.
