Collectors, police officers suggest slew of reforms in Fifth Police Commission meeting

Police officers in Tiruchi suggest reforms to Fifth Police Commission: Collectors and SPs demand separate battalion for bandobast; suggest assessing performance based on number of cases reported; call for taluk-level civil dispute redressal committees; urge clarity in SOPs to deal with children in conflict with law; suggest capacity-building programmes for Tahsildars and Sub Inspectors; call for changes in police uniforms, resolving road roko agitations, and separate statute to control organised crime.

Collectors and Senior Police Officers from the Central Zone comprising nine districts have put forth various suggestions to the Fifth Police Commission during its zonal level meeting in Tiruchi on Wednesday.

The meeting was chaired by retired High Court Judge C.T. Selvam and attended by former IAS officer K. Allauddin, retired police officer K. Radhakrishnan, Prof. Nalini Rao, and psychiatrist C. Ramasubramanian, who were the members.

Inspector General of Police, Central Zone, Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi City, DIGs, Collectors and SPs of Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruvarur, and Karur districts participated and suggested a slew of reforms.

Collectors and SPs demanded constitution of a separate battalion dedicated to providing bandobast. They told the commission that drawing a significant strength of police personnel from a particular district to be deployed for bandobast in some other district results in challenges to tackling law and order. The officers also suggested creating a separate zonal-level battalion dedicated to providing bandobast and keeping it under the disposal of the Inspector General of Police.

The police officers also brought up the issue of assessing the performance of police using the number of cases registered in their jurisdiction. The increase in the number of crimes reported should not be viewed as a negative parameter. It is a reflection of better law enforcement by the police and the awareness created for the public to come forward and report offences. To settle civil disputes amicably, the officials demanded setting up taluk-level civil dispute redressal committees.

Suggestions were also made to tackle the stress and mental health issues of police personnel. District-level officers hailing from outside the State should be provided adequate leave as a matter of right to reach their hometown, particularly during emergencies.

The officials also drew the attention of the commission to look into the bottlenecks in constituting special courts to trial cases registered under the Mines and Minerals Act. The police officers also suggested decentralising certain powers concentrated at the Headquarters in Chennai to redress grievances of police personnel at the constable level.