The Hindu Business Line : Perking up police

IT IS good that the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Ms Jayalalithaa, is paying close attention to measures to perk up the police in the State. She was the first to have thought of all-women police stations to take up cases of special concern to women, especially from the vulnerable sections of the society.

She has ensured that the members of the force posted there are given the needed orientation to be accessible and empathetic to women taking their problems to them without making them feel overawed or intimidated.

It is heart-warming to hear frequently of the successful efforts by police officials to unite estranged couples and solve family disputes, thereby obviating litigation and attendant bitterness.

In a sense, the Tamil Nadu police has all the makings of an ideal instrument for social harmony and community well-being, rather than being seen in the traditional role of lathi-wielding bullies in jackboots screaming filthy abuses at citizens in a display of megalomania.

The Chief Minister has obviously realised that if the members of the force have to be effective and efficient, they have to be freed from the quotidian frustrations resulting from bad living and working conditions.

A decent workplace and a comfortable home to go back to after the work is done conduce to the sense of dignity and self-pride of the police personnel, and this in turn helps them to look upon their duties, not as distasteful chores, but as constituting a noble profession in which their attitude and behaviour as pleasant and helpful friends of the people will conspicuously raise the quality of public service and public life.

But there are several areas where with a little bit of imagination a lot of improvements can be made. Considering the limited strength of the force, the tasks assigned to it should be strictly prioritised.

For instance, its focus should overridingly be on prevention of crimes of a serious and heinous nature, affecting the safety and security of the people, instead of its energies being frittered away in enforcing morals or dancing attendance on VIPs.

Duty and leisure hours should be properly apportioned enabling the personnel adequate time to spend with their families and pursue their hobbies.

There should be continuing contacts with the civil society to build up better rapport and benefit from spot feedback. Tamil Nadu police can thus become a model for other States.

B. S. Raghavan

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