From the dual control in districts and subordination of police to political executive, under the Police Act of 1861, arise many a problem in police management and police work lack of professional autonomy leads to totally non-professional approach to policing system. Abject surrender by many senior police officers to political masters has made things worse.
It has tended to kill healthy professional leadership. Decisions on purely internal professional matters of recruitment and training are distorted due to political interference and connivance of some police officers themselves.
At times the latter are rendered helpless. A few years ago, a Chief Minister decided to recruit altogether 1600 sub Inspectors of police in one go, because he wanted his own men at police stations.
The D.G.P. objected on sound grounds of cadre-management, career planning and difficulties in imparting proper training to such a large number of cadets in one batch. He was over-ruled.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
There is no sound recruitment policy for crucial ranks of constabulary and sub-Inspectors which can produce men, having physical courage, stamina and proper aptitude. There are not enough incentives for trainers; nor selection for training institutions, is made on suitability.
The training institutions continue to be “dumping ground”. Few states have implemented the recommendations of Gore Committee Report on police training and recommendations of National Police Commissions.
At many places there is lack of basic requirements of buildings, class rooms, bathrooms, dining halls etc. A study conducted by B.P R&D in 1992 had revealed that 7 out of 10 police training Institutions did not have adequate teaching aids.
Non-availability of adequate finance and lack of priority are two main reasons. Another study conducted by B.P R&D some years ago had indicated that percentage of expenditure on police training vis-a-vis total expenditure on police in states was small, which ranged between 0.08 in Kerala to 3.29% in Mizoram. In Bihar, it was only 1.75% and in U.P, 1.1%.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Police station is the primary unit of police administration. In fact, it is the base on which the entire pyramid of police administration stands. But unfortunately, it continues to be neglected. The size of police stations at many places continues to be very large and unmanageable.
They are not well-equipped. In short non-professional approach to policing by those not in police forces has led to neglect of district policing, including police stations, with lop-sided attention being paid to expansion of armed forces and central para-military forces. At police stations, more attention is paid to V.I.P. duty and law and order, and crime prevention and detection work get very low priority.
The strength of district policing and its modernization have not received attention that these deserved. This has a paralyzing effect on the whole policing system, particularly in rural areas.