Bengaluru: Considering the complexity of problems in society, no doubt there are not enough policemen in the city. But, it is important to understand that physical strength alone cannot contribute to efficiency of the force. There are multiple factors that contribute to preventing crime. How actively the police involves the community is crucial. For instance, I conducted an experiment when I was posted in Mysore and prevented 60 per cent of crimes by actively involving communities.
Building a good rapport with citizens is very necessary for a beat policeman. We put this into practice in three stations and there was tremendous response. The police officials too need to understand that if they just exchange smiles and handshakes, citizens will be more willing to help them. The general assumption is that the police are not accessible. This has to be changed and police must be perceived as people-friendly.
What upsets the common man the most is the lack of sensitivity of officers doing routine policing. People must be made to understand that police would like to involve them. Sending this message across can play a big role in citizens deciding to approach the law men.
Providing good training to the police will also have an impact to a certain degree. Officials should be equipped better both in terms of technology and weapons. Police mobility too needs improvement. The public must get the feeling that the police are everywhere. Police response time is imperative for citizens to trust it. The lesser time taken, the greater confidence the police will enjoy among the people. The hoysalas were introduced to help the common man reach policemen in times of need. But it’s unfortunate that these vehicles are being used for personal reasons by officials. A sharp message has to be sent from the top to stop this practice.
Helplines like Vanitha Sahaya Vani and Makkala Sahaya Vani were set up so that women and children in distress could approach the police directly. And there was wonderful response to them. Children as young as eight and 10 would call us to complain about domestic and even simple problems. Strengthening these centres will help.
There are a bundle of laws, and after the rape incident in Delhi many amendments were made and new rules introduced. But the problem lies with officials who are not abreast with them and book cases under wrong sections.
There is a perception that crime is rising, but it’s not wholly true. The city is fast growing, yes, but now people have become bold enough to come forward and complain about sexual assaults. So merely increasing police numbers without strategy won’t help. Prevention, detection of crime and prompt answering of people’s problems are all important for efficient policing. Number is just an excuse; there is a need to re-look at the system.
The writer is a retired DG&IGP
