Praveen Kumar Policing The Police > Professional Pride

PROFESSIONAL PRIDE OF THE POLICE

Better handling of the police administration will do away with the ills of the police force writes PRAVEEN KUMAR.

The basic needs of police and policing are professional pride and a good image. The police force capable of doing its duties are carrying out its responsibilities with devotion and self- sacrifice. But it needs its sacrifices and devotion to work to be appreciated.

A good

image entails public cooperation and enhances the

social

recognition of the police personnel. Pride and a high morale are necessary in manpower oriented organisations like the police, particularly those which have to deal with the public from a position of strength. Police personnel shamed and humiliated in their career can never face the public and do good policing.

The tragedy lies in police administration. Its vanity belittles the police, breaches its pride, shatters its self-image and destroys its good public image by unscrupulous and selfish interferences in police affairs. Suspensions and disciplinary action are a common phenomenon in the Indian Police. When no grounds are available for disciplinary proceedings, they resort to unfair and indecent measures like withdrawing vehicles, telephones and other facilities, denying promotions, transfer to humiliating jobs created for meeting such eventualities, keeping on prolonged compulsory waiting without a job

etc. These humiliations weaken their position before the public as well as subordinates whom they are supposed to control and guide with the strength of their leadership qualities.

ARROGANCE OF POWER

A factor responsible for maladministration becoming the abracadabra of

police

administration is arrogance of power. The police is the real power, the crux of the state power. The police administrators weild power on the enforcers of the state power. Power breeds arrogance, ultimate power, ultimate arrogance. The sweep of arrogance is so strong that it has no patience for rules, laws, codes of conduct, moral values, natural courtesies and human dignities.

The only goal of the police administration in the

ambience of arrogance is proving its invincibility as tout prix.

A serious lapse of police administration in India is its presumed virtue of indifference to other’s predicaments. The compulsions of being led deprive government officials the great human gifts like freedom of thought, originality and creativity and drain off feelings and sensibilities. The humble situation is spawned for government officials by themselves by their zeal to conform.

This is the position in which the police administration finds itself. The need of making virtue out of irresponsiveness leads to mendacity and dishonesty. Normal human courtesies are unknown there. Evasion is the stock reply for queries. Vanity is the

hallmark. Approach to all except higher-ups is always brusque and stroppy. Normal man-to-man interaction is impossible unless one is capable of gratifying.

Public

relations is an unknown concept, McGregor’s need hierarchy and such management, concepts are nonexistent in their vocabulary and thoughts.

A CUSHY JOB

The police administration provides a good cover to meet long cherished desires and is therefore considered a cushy job. A police administrator like the Home Secretary of a state can avail for himself from the police organisation all benefits inherent to the police job like the best available transport and communication facilities and orderly services at will. The police network throughout the country would be at his personal service wherever and in whatever way he desired it. This is an invaluable asset, for him and his kith and kin. In the name of various studies concerning the police, he can visit foreign countries at his will and convenience at government expenditure.

The prevarications of the police administration from the right path in most cases is not even to achieve right professional ends. They mostly are pure and simple means to self-grandiosity and personal gains. Show them elements of personal grists. Files move fast. Discussions and meetings are held day and night.

Decisions are taken

overnight. Procedures are cut-short to ease the process. Ordinary situation turns to an emergence. Administration becomes a hub of incessant activity. Lots of energy and thought go to the process of administration. The result is that work is done irrespective

of the relevance and importance of the work while more pressing and vital, but less remunerative works rot in files for years.

Selection and recruitment of men in the age of unemployment and purchase of heavy vehicles in the ambience of commissions play a pivotal role in the administration of police and related safety-oriented organisations like the fire force. Recruiting men in thousands and purchase of scores of heavy vehicles at a single go in the name of expansion of an organisation involves subterranean change of hands of crores of rupees in a short span of time. It is a dizzy amount to be pocketed.

Decisions were taken by the administration for expansion of the organisation with fresh recruitment of thousands of men and sub-officers and purchase of scores of heavy vehicles. A police officer in a sensitive juncture of his career who could be compromised was put in charge of the organisation and the selection and purchase processes. The setup worked out by the Home Secretary worked to his satisfaction. The result was that the police officer in charge was rewarded by quick and easy promotions. The organisation concerned saw rapid expansion.

Thousands

of unemployed youths got jobs.

Manufactures of heavy vehicles got business. And the Home Secretary got what he wanted. Thus all are happy and contented. This is how administration works in India.

Most ills of the present Indian police emerge from the malaise of the morbid handling of the police administration at different levels. Be is in handling of the body and shape of the organisation and its functions of managing the spirit and the soul of

the force, the police administration can play a major role either in building or marring the prospects of raising a healthy police outfit for the country. As of today, police administration failed the country and its police by indifference on the one hand and crass handling of the organisation and its affairs on the other. The only solution to this serious malady lies in rebuilding the police administration with people of character, integrity, devotion, efficiency, ability and above all, deep insight to human nature and its problems.