Open House: What steps should the government take for better behaviour by the men in uniform?

Give training for change in attitude

Certainly, the police need reforms. A sensitisation training is necessary in order to expect better behaviour by the men in uniform. In today’s era, misdemeanour by the police force in the region has increased. So, in order to keep police force in discipline, refresher courses and attitudinal training should be frequent. They do not have the right to take the law in their hands.

Sanjay Chawla

QUESTION

There is no let-up in the spread of dreaded dengue fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease occurring in tropical and subtropical areas, in the district. What should be done to check the spread of this ailment?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (Sept 7).

Act tough against erring cops

Charges and misbehaviour by men in uniform are on the rise. Recently, we had an incident with a SHO who forced two brothers to jump into the canal. In our daily lives, we see police officers use deception to steal money from the public. They bother poor people, especially those who sell fruits, vegetables, and junk food. Sometimes they commit serious crimes out of greed. The man in uniform is losing his dignity. They have a duty to maintain peace, to show honesty, and save people from cheating, but the opposite happens. The state government should set up a separate department to handle police officers cases. If a police officer is found committing crime or misbehaving in public, the government should take strict action against him or her. Increment of the erring cop should be stopped, besides downgrading his/her rank. The official should be transferred far away from his or her native place. It will be a lesson for others. Moreover, the state government should give moral education to policemen. They should be made to visit foreign countries so that they can learn moral values.

Sucha Singh Sagar

Introduce in-service training programmes

A shabbily turned out policeman or one charged with frequent misdemeanours or even colluding with culprits and smugglers seems a contradiction in terms, but unfortunately in our country, particularly now in Punjab, it is true. In fact, even very senior officers like assistant inspector general, unable to face the law, are absconding. There are honest and diligent elements, but by and large, the police go with a sullied image. You hardly find a policeman having integrity. One remembers with a feeling of nostalgia, when you did not dare to ride a bicycle without light at night. There were special kerosene models you were supposed to attach on the lamp head and remove when not required. Even if it was a flicker it would do, but without that, no question of cycling at night. Same thing with double riding. A whistle of the man would arrest you on your tracks and issue a ticket. There were no street lights, but a single man holding the stop sign in one hand and waving with the other was sufficient. Technology hasn’t helped as expected. Police reforms like reforms in the election commission are not in the interest of any political party. Punishments are evaded and are not effective at all. Perhaps the only effort worth trying is introducing incentivise and innovative in-service training programmes for the field staff. Such short courses can draw ideas from the army and the psychology departments of universities. Cases of mental aberrations should be provided counselling. The point is that extraneous help is not going to improve things. The available staff can be motivated and made to work more efficiently. Last but important, aptitude and personality make-up of the candidate should guide our recruitment agencies who recommend staff for police. Appointments on compassionate grounds may be diverted to other departments. Moreover, IPS personnel should be given opportunity to work with a vision. Frequent transfers negate this principle.

Prof Mohan Singh

Disciplinary action against guilty cops

If any police officer says anything to anyone without any reason, the government should either reduce his rank or take strict action against him. The Punjab government should think about why cops conduct illegal actions or there is a deficiency in their training. The government should deal such policemen with iron hand and they should think hundred times before doing any illegal action.

Subhkarman Kaur Sarchur

Treat citizens with kindness

Policemen should treat citizens with kindness. The compulsions of citizens should be understood. Citizens should not be treated badly. People’s problems should not be ignored. Their problems should be heard and understood. If police do not understand the compulsion of the citizens, they should go to senior officers. The officers should act against such wrong elements. The government should penalise them by reducing their salary. Policemen need to be given professional training to improve their skills.

Supreet Kaur

Strengthen trust between police, public

Although police personnel are properly trained to deal with various situations and challenges during their duty, certain screaming news headlines of human rights abuses, spiralling crime rates, and endemic violence have caused concern for the Punjab Police. The recent case of two young brothers who drowned in the Beas at Goindwal bridge due to police harassment and humiliation has once again sparked outrage. Trust in the police is so low that people in general often prefer to live with crime/harassment or turn to perceived safer alternatives, despite numerous criminal cases being solved by the police. The police system is often described as inept, malicious, and a political tool. Hence, it is essential to sensitise police personnel on the ground level, encouraging them to adopt a friendlier approach towards informants and complainants. At least two women police personnel should be present at every station for all hours to combat issues related to gender. Since, police officers often face stress, pressure, and prejudice in their work, they may benefit from learning more about gender issues, human rights, and diversity in society. Sensitisation programmes can improve the mutual trust and cooperation between the police and the public, especially in cases of violence against women and other vulnerable groups. However, the effectiveness and impact of these programmes depend on the quality, frequency, and follow-up of the training sessions, as well as the receptiveness and commitment of the police officers. It is an ongoing process that requires constant dialogue, feedback, and evaluation among all the stakeholders involved.

Dr Kulwant Singh Phull

Promote police-public relations

Police-public meetings are to be carried out in every police division once a week. Public grievances committees should be formed in all the police divisions and meetings should be conducted at least once a month in which representatives of all political parties be included along with high officials. At present blame game on each other should be halted and with one mission and one vision police officers and police personnel should try to create an atmosphere of social ideology and give proper honour to the civilians at police stations. It is time to promote good police-public relations. The police should be strict on wrong vehicle parking, jumping a red light signal and over speeding of vehicles. As it is time for the administration to give proper training to the policemen posted in police divisions towards handling the public with a soft speaking attitude. Maintaining of law and order should be the priority of the police and keep a strict vigil on anti-social elements.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Appoint honest police officers

The police force is formed for the welfare of people, but in today’s world, the statement seems seriously paradoxical. In the past one year, a total of 30 arrests were made in bribery cases against police officers on the basis of online/in-person complaints. The number of complaints and inquiries on police officials this year cannot be numbered, hence, proving that the Punjab Police force is in strict need of clean-up and refurbishing for public safety and law establishment. To resolve any issue, we need to find the reason for the problem. The main cause of such a dirty crime is a lesser number of policemen. There is a need for the employment of honest and zestful police personnel to act as a guardian of the law and divide the weight of responsibility hanging on the necks of small police force. The reason for unethical acts by officials is a result of too much pressure and work on a single shoulder that they tend to find an easy way of money making such as bribing, etc. The administration should run police training and hiring camps for police positions to cure unemployment and help the police by adding more force. If proper checks and surveillance along with more staff are appointed by the government, the Punjab Police can be back on the right track and serve justice.

Lakshit Jindal

Stop political interference

After Independence, it was necessitated to get the police and its working style entirely transformed to get rid of colonial mind set imposed by the Britishers for perpetuating their imperial designs over the people. In this direction, numerous police reforms commissions had recommended many measures but their half-hearted implementation could not bring any noticeable change in police functioning especially in attitude and behaviour towards the grieving public. Even various Supreme Court/ high courts judgements/ rulings could not bring any major shift on the subject. The basic reason behind this catastrophic situation is constant political interference in all police departments right from the process of recruitment, postings, training, transfers and promotions covering the whole hierarchical structure of the police. Most importantly, political interference has to be stopped to zero level and secondly the whole process right from recruitment to retirement has to be managed by independent commission mandated by the legislation. Only then, public behaviour and desired attitude towards the assigned duties and the people in general can be ensured through documented process of recruitment, training and postings at national/ regional levels.

Jagdish Chander

Police sensitisation is required

To maintain law and order, prevention and detection of crime, prosecution of criminals, control of traffic and assistance during natural calamities are the few functions in addition to the many more other functions which are being performed by the state police. While performing these duties, they deal with different types of individuals. In my view, it is easy to label charges on police misdemeanours in the region but one has to keep in mind that duties performed by police are hard in nature. They encounter even life threats while dealing with criminals, while pacifying a violent mob or helping people during natural calamities. During festivals, everybody is enjoying the celebrations with their family members, but who is ensuing safety and security of men and material? While performing day and night 24×7 in an indifferent atmosphere one feels stressed. There is a word “Empathy” which means that you put your feet in others shoes so that one can feel the emotions of a person standing opposite to you. At the same time, necessary sensitisation training is required to be imparted at the training centres which calls for better behaviour by the men in uniform. There is a famous quote: “The police uniform is a symbol of hope in times of crises.”

Kamal Nayan Sharma

Use technology for surveillance

Public safety and security is a foremost duty of the police administration. In fact, the extent of fairness and effectiveness in policing is an indicator of the conduct of public order, while any misdemeanour or evasiveness in discharge of duties reflects badly on the credentials of police personnel. In this era of awakening, the standards by which the public judges police success have become more exacting and challenging. Being the most visible face of the government power for the citizens, police forces are expected to deal impartially and effectively with crime and disorder to deliver equitable justice in the society. Apparently, the officials have to be very logical and rational while discharging their duties. While they are assumed to act sternly against lawlessness, felony and terrorism as it adversely hampers development, but being part of the society to be dealt they are required to observe restraint in using force. Recently, the charges of indecent behaviour and reports of police misdemeanour have been the headlines of media which indeed tarnish its image, and thus call for sensational training to the men in uniform. An attitudinal change is the earnest need of the hour to ensure an environment of mutual trust so that public grievances are promptly and genuinely addressed. For this, there is an absolute need of reforms in traditional tactics being followed by the law enforcing agencies during mass manoeuvres. In Punjab, the people are generally law abiding but have occasionally been a victim of terror and turmoil since Partition. In the recent past, there is a sudden spurt in killing incidents, arson and loot, carjacking and petty street crimes, especially against the children, women and senior citizens. Besides, infighting among some gangs and attempts of desecration to spread communal tension have been quite disturbing. In order to avert such instances, law enforcing agencies are being empowered to work independently and use high-tech equipment for surveillance. Periodic interaction between public and police is also being enhanced for better coordination.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Install CCTV cameras at police stations

We often read news of police misconduct against public. Certainly, police should behave in a proper manner and there should be complete transparency while filing FIRs and dealing with crime but at the end of the game, the public needs to be awakened about laws. Let us recall the days when Covid-19 had started spreading and the governments of different countries were making the public aware of the spread of the disease. At that time, Punjab was the first state in India to impose a curfew and even then the public was not following norms to stop the spread of the outbreak of coronavirus. It simply shows people are not educated and aware of the basic laws. Similarly, we can see daily accidents on roads. Who is responsible for that? It is the public that flouts traffic rules. Certainly, police professionals need to be given training about how to deal with and differentiate between the public and criminals. All police stations should be equipped with cameras. Moreover, it is the nexus between politicians and police that also makes the system corrupt. Hence, what is needed is public education and awareness about laws.

Harvinder Singh Chugh