Measures to strengthen National security .

By Praveen Dixit on August 17, 2022

अंतर्गत सुरक्षा कशी बळकट करावी, विविध उपायः

कायदा-सुव्यवस्था – सामाजिक सुस्थिती – सुरळीत समाजजीवन
• अंतर्गत सुरक्षा, कायदा आणि सुव्यवस्था यांचा सांभाळ हे पोलिसदलाचे मुख्य कार्य. प्रत्यक्षात सुरळीत समाजजीवन आणि स्वस्थ समाजनिर्मितीच्या कामी पोलिसदलाची भूमिका किती परिणामकारक राहते?
उत्तर: ज्या राज्यात कायदा व सुव्यवस्था चांगली तिथेच investment केली जाते व तिथेच लोकांचा विश्वास कायम राहून प्रगती होत असते. त्या दृष़्टीने पोलिसांची भूमिका अत्यंत महत्वाची असते. स्त्रिया, मुले व लोकांचे जीवन व संपत्ती सुरक्षित असेल तरच लोक आपल्या क्षमता वाढवू शकतात. पोलिस नि:पक्षपातीपणे काम करत असतील, तर समाजजीवन स्वस्थ राहायला खूपच मदत होते.
• गुन्हेगारी वाढते आहे काय? कारणे व मीमांसा.

दिवसेंदिवस गुन्हेगारी नक्कीच वाढत आहे. गुन्हे पहिल्यांदा मनात तयार होतात व नंतर ते प्रत्यक्ष घडतात. ज्या ठिकाणी लोक धार्मिक असतात तिथे ते नियम पाळणारेही असतात. पूर्वी लोक गरीब होते, पण धार्मिक पग़डा जास्त असल्याने लोक गुन्ह्यांकडे कमी वळत होते. आता लोक जास्त सुशिक्षित आहेत परंतु संस्कार करणारे कुणी मिळत नाहीत. अनेक सुशिक्षितांनी गुह्नेगारी करण्याचा व्यवसाय सुरु केला आहे. ह्या शिवाय लोकस्ख्येतील वाढ ही सुद्धा गुह्ने वाढायला जबाबदार आहे. घरातील संस्कार, देवळातून होणारी कीर्तने, प्रवचने बंद होण्याने ते ही संस्कार बंद झाले आहेत. लहान मुलांपासून मोठ्यांपर्यंत स्त्री पुरुष आज फार मोठ्या संख्येने व्यसनांना बळी पडत आहेत. संयुक्त कुटुंबे ह्रास पावत असल्याने सामाजिक मूल्यांचा ह्रास होत आहे व त्यामुळे हिंसाचार, नैराश्य, आत्महत्यांचे प्रमाण वाढत आहे. चित्रपट व समाजमाध्यमे हयातून अनेक जण नवनवीन गुह्न्यांचे प्रशिक्षण मिळवत आहेत व त्याचे प्रात्यक्षिक करून पाहत आहेत. दूर संचार क्षेत्रातील क्रांतीमुळे cyber गुह्न्यांत दरवर्षी प्रचंड वाढ होत आहे. हे गुह्ने करणार्‍य़ा आंतरराष़्ट्रीय टोळ्या सध्या कार्यरत आहेत. ह्या शिवाय जन जाग्रृतीमुळे अन्याय खपवून न घेता गुह्ने दाखल करण्याकडे कल वाढत आहे. विशेषत: स्त्रियांविरुद्धच्या, मुलांविरुद्धच्या गुन्ह्यात, घरात होणार्‍या अत्याचारांविरुद्ध पूर्वी आवाज उठवला जात नसे, किंवा बाहेर वाच्यता होऊ दिली जात नसे. अनेक दिवाणी गुन्हे फौजदारी दाखवणयाचा कल ही वाढत आहे. अनेक संशय़ितांना/गुह्ने शाबीत झालेल्यांना सुधारण्यासाठी तुरुंगात ठेवले जाते, पण न्यायालयात खटले प्रलंबित राहत असल्याने किरकोळ गुह्न्यातील कैदी जुन्या कैद्यांक़डुन गुह्न्याची पद्धत शिकुन गंभीर गु्ह्ने करित आहेत, अनेक गुह्न्यांची कट कारस्थाने रचत आहेत. कोणत्याही श्रमांशिवाय अत्यंत महागड्या चैनीच्या गोष्टी सहजपणे मिळवण्यासाठी अनेक गुह्ने केले जातात. जेवढे लोक मागास भागात राहतात तेवढे ते आर्थिक गुह्न्यांचे जास्त बळी असतात. लबाड लोक त्यांच्या अज्ञानाचा गैरफायदा घेऊन फसवाफसवी करतात. ह्या शिवाय परदेशी कट कारस्थानांमुळे अनेक दहशतवादी गुह्ने केले जातात. Hate speeches म्हणजेच हेटाळणी करणार्‍य़ा संदेशांमुळे जाती जातीतिल विद्वेश वाढत आहे.

• गुन्हेगारीचे प्रमाण आणि प्रकार या दोन्हींमध्ये वाढ होत आहे, ही भावना यथार्थ आहे काय? असल्यास त्याची कारणे काय? गुन्ह्यांचे नवनवीन प्रकार समोर येत आहेत. त्या पार्श्वभूमीवर पोलिसदलाचे आधुनिकीकरण, प्रशिक्षण याची स्थिती काय?

गुन्हेगारीचे प्रमाण आणि प्रकार या दोन्हींमध्ये वाढ होत आहे हे नक्कीच खरे आहे. पूर्वी पासून होणारे गुह्ने कमी न होता वाढत आहेत हे खरे आहे, तसेच cyber व आर्थिक गुह्ने ह्यांचे प्रमाण वाढत आहे. तसेच समाज माध्यमांमुळे होणारे गुह्ने वाढले आहेत. Fake videos मुळे अनेक वेळा दंगली उद्भवल्या आहेत.

प्रशिक्षण सुरवातीला व वेळोवेळी चालणारी निरंतर प्रक्रिया आहे. त्यात गरजेप्रमाणे सतत बदल केले जातात. कायदा सुव्यवस्था व गुह्न्यांचा तपास ह्या विषयी तज्ज्ञ व्यक्तिं कडुन मार्ग दर्शन केले जाते. इ – प्रशिक्षण द्वारेही प्रशिक्षण दिले जाते. पण हे प्रयत्न वाढविण्याची आवशयकता आहे. वरिष़्ठ अधिकार्‍य़ांना प्रशिक्षणाची चांगली सोय आहे पण कनिष्ठ अंमलदारांसाठी ह्या सोयी पुरेशा नाहीत. पूर्वी प्रत्येक घटकात प्रशिक्षण दिले जायचे. ते पुह्ना सुरु करणे आवश्यक आहे.

पोलिसदल आणि राजकारण / सत्ताधार्जीणेपणा
• राजकारण आणि सत्ताधार्जीणी भूमिका यांपासून पोलिसखाते खरोखरीच अलिप्त / स्वायत्त आहे काय? / राहू शकते काय? कायद्याच्या तांत्रिकतेमुळे काही प्रमाणात पोलिसदलाचे हात बांधलेले अनुभवास येतात काय?

पोलिस दल हे सत्तेचे सर्व प्रमुख चिह्न आहे. पोलिस हे वैधानिक काम करत असले तरी राज कारणी व्यक्तींना वाटते की पोलिस हे त्यांच्या हाताखाली काम करत असल्याने राजकारण्यांच्या इच्छेप्रमाणे पोलिसांनी काम केले पाहिजे. पोलिसांच्या बदल्या मोठ्या प्रमाणात राजकारणी लोकांनी स्वत;च्या ताब्यात ठेवल्याने पोलीसही राजकारण्यांची मर्जी संपादन करण्यासाठी गैरकायदेशीर गोष्टी करायला मागेपुढे पाहत नाहीत. परंतु पोलिस त्याच्या प्रत्येक कारवाइला न्यायालयाला जबाबबदार आहेत. व जी कारवाइ ते नाययालयाला पटवू देउ शकतील ती योग्य म्हटली पाहिजे. घटने प्रमाणे कायदा सुव्यवस्थेसाठी शासनाच्यावतीने मुख्यमंत्री जबाबदार असल्याने ते पोलिसांना पूर्ण स्वायत्तता देण्यास कधीच तयार होणार नाहीत. ह्या बाबत सर्व राजकीय पक्षांचे एकमत आहे. फक्त परिपक्व राजकीय नेतृत्वच असा धाडसी निर्णय घेऊ शकेल. घ़टनेत बदल करुन ज्यावेळेस पोलिस स्थानिक प्रशासनास जबाबदार केले जातील व पोलिसांची आर्थिक जबाबदारी स्थानिक प्रशासन उचलेल तेव्हा कदाचित पोलिस स्वायत्तपणे काम करू शकतील. तोपर्यंत वर्तमानपत्रे व माध्यमे ह्यांनी पोलिस स्वायत्ततेची मागणी सातत्याने केली पाहिजे कारण ती समाजासाठी आवश्यकता आहे.

गुन्हेगाराला शिक्षा होण्यात पोलीस तपास, गोळा केलेले पुरावे आणि एकूण प्रकरणाचे न्यायालयात केलेले सादरीकरण यांचे स्थान अत्यंत महत्त्वाचे.या बाबतीत तपास-क्षमतेविषयीचा सामान्यत: येणारा अनुभव?

पोलिसांच्या वरील कामाच्या दबावामुळे तपासासाठी पुरेसा वेळ पोलिस देउ शकत नाहीत तरीही किरकोळ गुन्ह्यांमधे 24 तासात तपास पूर्ण करून दोषारोपपत्र पाठवल्यास शिक्षा होण्याचे प्रमाण वाढू शकते. मुलींची छेडछाड करण्याच्या गुह्न्यांमधे 24 तासात जिथे आम्ही दोषरोपपत्र पाठवले त्यात न्यायालयाने त्वरीत शिक्षा दिली. खोटे गुह्ने दाखल करण्याचे प्रमाण वाढले आहे तसेच दिवाणी गुह्ने फौजदारी गुह्ने म्हणुन दाखल करण्यासाठी दबाव वाढत आहे. ह्या शिवाय साक्षीच्या वेळी तक्रारदाराने तक्रार मागे घेणे, साक्षीदाराने जबाब फिरवणे अभियोक्त्याने खटला योगय प्रकारे सादर न करणे ह्यामुळेही आरोपी सुटतात.

• याच बाबतीत न्याययंत्रणेची अनुभवाला येणारी स्थिती पोलीस अधिकाऱ्यांना नाउमेद करणारी ठरते असे वाटते काय?

साक्षिदारांना हजर ठेवण्यासाठी अनेक आरोपींवर समन्स बजावले न गेल्याने ते न्यायालयात हजर राहत नाहीत त्यामुळे खटले प्रलंबित राहतात. आरोपीचे वकील अनेक खटले घेतात व खटला चालवण्याच्या वेळेस बर्‍याचदा गैरहजर राहतात. त्यामुळे पुढील तारखा पडत राहतात व खटला प्रलंबीत राहतो. त्यामुळे साक्षीदार कंटाळतात व यायला टाळतात. त्याचा निकालावर परिणाम होतो.

पोलिस प्रशिक्षण – ब्रिटीशकालीन, स्वातंत्र्योत्तर, आय.पी.एस. पातळी
• आय.पी.एस. ब्रिटीशांनी निर्माण केलेली व्यवस्था. स्वातंत्र्यानंतर त्यात केलेला बदल याबद्दल काय सांगता येईल?

व्यवस्थेत फारसा काही बदल केलेला नाही. मोठ्या शहरात आयुक्त पद्धत सुरु करण्यात आली आहे. शहरी करणामुळे पोलीस स्थानकांची संख्या शहरीकरणाच्या वेगाने वाढवणे व नवीन तंत्रज्ञानाचा वापर वाढवणे आवशयक आहे. App चा वापर करून तक्रार दाखल करणे सोपे व सुटसुटीत होणे आवशयक आहे. आय् पी एस
अधिकार्‍यांनी उत्कृष्ट नेतृत्व दिले आहे व देशाची अखंडता व स्थैर्य कायम ठेवण्यात मोठे योगदान दिले आहे.
राजकीय हस्तक्षेप: प्रमाण आणि परिणाम
• राजकीय विशेषत: सत्ताधाऱ्यांच्या सर्वस्तरिय हस्तक्षेपाची अनेक उदाहरणे आढळून येतात. त्यादृष्टीने मूळ व्यवस्थेची चौकट सदोष / त्रूटीयुक्त आहे, असे वाटते काय?

फक्त पोलीस महासंचालकांची नेमणुक शासनाने करावी व अन्य पोलीस अधिकार्‍्यांची नेमणुक ही पोलीस महासंचालकांनी करणे अपेक्षित आहे. त्यमुळे राजकीय हस्तक्षेप मोठ्या प्रमाणात कमी होईल. तसेच पोलिस दलातील बेशिस्त कमी होइल. पोलिस कायद्यात त्याप्रमाणे बदल तातडीने करणे गरजेचे आहे.

विश्वासार्हता – सामान्य समाजाला मिळणारे आश्वासन

पोलिसांची विश्वासार्हता अत्यंत महत्वाची आहे व ती वाढवण्यासाठी पोलिस व समाज दोघांनीही संयुक्तपणे प्रयत्न करणे आवश्यक आहे.
• या साऱ्या पार्श्वभूमीवर पोलिसखात्याबद्दलची विश्वासार्हता,सामान्य नागरिकांना त्यांच्याकडून मिळणारे सुरक्षेविषयीचे, न्यायाविषयीचे आश्वासन यांची स्थिती काय?

जनतेला आश्वासित करण्यासाठी शासनाच्या सर्व अंगांनी एकत्रितपणे करणे आवश्यक आहे. ह्या बद्दल मी खाली सविस्तर लिहिले आहे.

आपल्या कारकीर्दीतील काही विशेष नमूद करण्याजोगे अनुभव – प्रसंग

पोलिस मित्र परिवाराची सुरवात. सविस्तर योजना व विशेष अनुभव खालील प्रमाणे

Police Mitra a scheme to Improve Police-public relations

Praveen Dixit, IPS

DGP (Retired) Maharashtra

Abstract

The paper presents a unique model of Police Mitra involving people in association with police in educating the people about measures to be taken to live risk free life. It advocates police people relations improve when police trust people and involve them in discharging the responsibility of adopting to modern ways of life.

In maintenance and strengthening of internal security, police play pivotal role. Police can be effective when they win the trust of the people. There are different models to achieve this objective. According to classical theory, police should do their job as directed by Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code and other Central and State laws enacted from time to time. As per this model, police should be confined to registration of offences, investigation of the same and submitting the charge-sheet to courts. In order to supervise effective supervision on police officers, the colonial masters had created the scheme of District Superintendent of Police who was under the District Magistrate. In three major cities, namely Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, there were Commissioners of Police. This model suited the British where they wanted the police machinery to perpetuate the British Rule by suppressing the aspirations of the people and at the same time, ensure some façade of law and order, maintenance of laws, detection of crimes pertaining to life and property. In this scheme, police were the agents of the dictators and the role envisaged that the public remains fearful of the colonial masters and anyone voicing different concerns was effectively neutralised. As long as the British ruled India, this model worked well but had started showing cracks as the freedom movement in the nature of peaceful mass struggle as well as violent actions by many freedom fighters kept on erupting and puncturing the efficiency of the British rule.
Another model for police-public relations is available in countries such as Japan and Singapore. In this model, in a given police station, different areas are allotted to specific police officers. In Japan, the said police officer then visits each household under his charge once in six months, maintains detailed record of their requirements, and keeps on assisting them as and when required. If he comes across any aberrations, he advises the concerned, and is expected to enforce the laws. The society members are highly disciplined, law abiding and the number of such persons is limited. In Singapore as well, similar arrangements are available and the police maintains detailed account of persons living in their area. The responsibility of prevention of crimes as well as maintenance of law and order is thus effectively on police and the public are expected to abide by their directions strictly. In this model as well, the responsibility of preventing crime and maintenance of law and order continues to be that of police officers and men. In many parts of India as well, particularly where the Commissioner of Police are working, they have tried to introduce the beat system, though it is not as effective in Singapore. An effort is made to constitute ‘mohalla committee’ (also called peace committee) where a few prominent persons with different backgrounds are enrolled. Members of this committee are called once in a while by the police officers and they are called upon to ask their followers to maintain peace. Mostly the meetings witness accusations by the members against each other or against police. In short, no purpose is achieved by forming these committees either in promoting police public relations or maintaining law and order.
Israel implements another model for police public relations. Many persons above the age of forty years register their names with nearby police station as volunteers. They are provided with small weapons and work for police twice a week and wear a jacket inscribed as police volunteers. Use of fire arms by these volunteers is considered legal and they enjoy almost all powers of police. They are trained by police but they are not paid for the work done by them.
Analysis of these models and taking into account historical, social, legal, and economic situation in India, we have to create a model which would suit Indian conditions and address the requirements of modern India, which is having demography surplus and is dominated by youth. At the same time, several people including ladies are socially committed and aspire to promote peace, tranquillity and law and order in their areas. There are many elderly people who are physically fit and intend to participate actively in police duties. Considering all these aspects, a model was conceived and details are mentioned in following lines.
Esmon J. Milton in his book ‘Dimensions of Development: Perspectives and Strategies’ (Kumarian Press 1991) writes, “The formula (for service provision) is one of pragmatic pluralism in which the state establishes and enforces the rules, but at the level of operations it performs as one of many actors participating in the production and provision of economic and social goods and services.” This principle is followed in many sectors such as controlling pandemic like Corona (Covid 19), where health workers from corporates, private sector as well as public sector joined hands in reducing the devastating impact of the virus. Similarly, in eliminating polio from the continent, several voluntary organisations, health workers, teachers and civil society forged their differences and have succeeded in eliminating this menace. In educational sector as well, many corporates, voluntary organisations, youth, international bodies have come forward to reduce child labour by ensuring universal education in India. The success stories of many other sectors can be also repeated to emphasise the point that when many actors participate, the chances of success are brighter.
While there is no hesitation in taking help from all sectors in addressing these societal requirements, how it is that the same principle is rejected in maintaining peace and tranquillity which is crucial for development. There is an element of distrust against your own citizens. The colonial powers have trained the police officers to suspect every one as criminal, everyone is considered as a person who is cheat and is going to take disadvantage if he is associated with maintenance of law and order, which is considered as symbol of State authority and sovereignty. This is a typical thinking in a dictatorship such as British Raj in India. On the other hand, in U.K. itself, every citizen is believed to be working for promoting the Royal interests and therefore police have no hesitation in confiding with the British people even confidential information with the neighbours to track a criminal or even a terrorist.
In the light of above-mentioned theoretical background, when I worked as Commissioner of Police, Nagpur City from 2008 to 2010, I made an experiment by launching following scheme in the city for improving police public relations. Every police station was encouraged to actively involve local adult persons of all age groups from all religions, castes, and languages, male as well as females to join hands with police in various duties. List of volunteers was prepared and the same was scrutinised to weed out who may be having any criminal background. Training programs were organised for these volunteers in various subjects including preventing rumours, isolating suspicious objects which may contain a bomb, identifying missing children at bus stands and railway station, helping lonely senior citizens, identifying strangers who may be loitering in any area with ulterior motives, assisting children who are in conflict with law (juveniles), traffic duties at peak hours and in areas near schools and colleges. They were trained in managing huge fares, immersion processions, public meetings, regulating vehicle movement at crowded places and markets besides making public announcements. Whenever police were doing patrolling, the local volunteers accompanied them and boosted their morale as well as enhanced their striking capacity. The youth who participated in these duties actively were given a certificate of participation in promoting social cause. This proved very helpful to them when they appeared for any interview for a job to establish their credibility. Apart from generating enthusiasm, the net result was bridging the communication gap between the local police officers and the public at large. The street level crimes reduced by more than fifteen per cent. In many serious crimes, these volunteers helped police actively in tracking the criminals by providing accurate information. Most importantly, these volunteers played a crucial role in educating the people about preventive measures in safeguarding their household property, their children, as well as in new areas such as cyber security, economic offences and bank frauds.
The scheme is completely different from vigilantism. In vigilantism, vigilantes act independently. As against the same, in the scheme under discussion, police volunteers known as police Mitra performed various tasks only under strict guidance and supervision of policemen. They did not do any duty independently. This ensured that no untoward incidents take place in the name of police Mitra and no one working as police Mitra misbehaves or takes disadvantage of his/her association with law enforcing agencies.
It needs to be emphasised that this model also ensured that the complaints of non-registration of various offenses at police stations almost disappeared as the police volunteers were almost always present in police station or nearby areas when any complainant came to police station. Moreover, even serious incidents such as destroying of dead body after murder which were not reported came to light, because of the police Mitra who acted as whistle blowers. Similarly, incidents of corruption also reduced as the police working became more transparent. Significant fallout was that there were no complaints of use of third degree by policemen from any police station. Not even a single incident of custodial death was reported during these two years and hence there was no need to punish any policeman for dereliction of duty on account of these serious lapses. Hardly any law-and-order situation developed. Mention needs to be made of few interesting incidents. Moreover, as cities keep on growing rapidly in distant places, police stations are not increased in the same speed. However, presence police Mitra in these areas ensured that criminals were under constant watch. It also helped in reducing the threat of terrorist activities, which grow in areas where there is no police presence.
The use of the concept can be amplified if few incidents are narrated. In April 2009, it was reported that the statue of Bharat Ratna Dr, Babasaheb Ambedkar was disfigured by miscreants. Angered by this humiliation, huge crowd consisting of members of scheduled caste gathered near the statue and was about to be violent. The crowd insisted on immediate arrest of the culprits, though nobody knew who that might be. A strong contingent of armed police was deployed. However, if police had resorted to use of force, there were chances that the entire city would have been held to ransom and incidents of arson and violence would have spread in far off areas. At such a critical time, one elderly lady coming from scheduled caste stepped out and volunteered to help police. With folded hands, she faced the angry crowd and appealed them to disperse and allow the police to track the culprits by undertaking the investigation. She said, ‘I am police Mitra and trust me. Police would discharge their job sincerely. All of you leave this place now and permit the police officers to do their job.’ What a contingent of armed policemen could not do, was achieved by the frail police lady friend. Within no time the crowd disbursed peacefully. Police tracked down the culprits and major incident of law and order was averted successfully.
In another incident, around 10.30 at night, it was reported that in a remote place, a reputed doctor and wife were assaulted severely. When police reached the spot, an illiterate person who used to work as Police Mitra, had tied a person to a pillar in his hut, removed knife in his hand carefully and informed nearby police station & waited anxiously for policemen. He told police, this person’s wife works as nurse in the clinic of the doctor. He was suspicious about the doctor. After getting drunk, he assaulted the doctor and his wife who was also a doctor. At that time, the friend of police intervened, caught him with knife and tied him to a pillar in the hut. Friend of police also ensured that the injured doctor couple was sent to hospital and then he reported the matter to police station nearby.
On one day, an auto rickshaw dashed against an elderly person who was working as friend of police to regulate the traffic. He was admitted in the hospital. After he recovered, he was determined to work at the same place to regulate the traffic, as he considered it his duty to help police. This underlines the fact that people get so much motivated to help police in discharging their duty, if the police trust them. Even ladies used to participate in night patrolling along with policemen on bicycles.
Encouraged by this spirit found among the citizens, when I took over as Director General of Police (DGP), in 2015, I decided to implement the scheme of Police Mitra in Maharashtra leaving Mumbai city. Initially training was organised for senior officers and Police Inspectors to explain them the salient features of the scheme. This was welcome by one and all. Within no time more than two hundred thousand ladies and gents belonging to various age groups, from all religions, came forward to be volunteers to work with police free of cost. They were provided a cap with inscription as police Mitra and an arm band when they came forward to work with police. The response was tremendous from almost all places. Strict watch was kept on these volunteers to ensure no misuse is made by anyone. No identity cards were issued to anyone to avoid any wrong use of the same. Throughout the year, there were no incidents or complaints against anybody who worked as Police Mitra. In the state as well, the incidents of assault against vulnerable sections including members of scheduled caste and tribe reduced by more than ten per cent. Incidents of chain snatching, robberies, reduced drastically. Over all the objective of preventing crime as well as maintaining the law and order was achieved very well when the cooperation of people was sought. Several Muslim youth that were radicalised and were about to join the ISIS, could be retrieved and returned to normalcy. The parents of thee youth were thankful to police for saving these youngsters from sure death. The best part of the scheme was that it was driven following the directions given from state headquarters, with fine tuning of local requirements. In coastal areas, these police Mitra worked for coastal security. In rural areas, they did patrolling to prevent armed robberies. In city areas, they worked to promote communal harmony, regulate traffic, managing huge mobs on special occasions such as Ganpati and Navratri festivals which witnessed crowds that were difficult to be controlled only by using policemen. Moreover, these police Mitra were available day and night as per the requirement of local police station Inspector. They did not ask for any leave, or any monetary compensation. They were highly motivated people interested in promoting national security. These police Mitra took active part in educating the public at large on behalf of the police in promoting measures such as cyber security, preventing economic offenses, preserving property, security of children, elderly citizens and other vulnerable sections and strengthening security of women. They prepared short videos, wrote scripts, poems and uploaded these on U tube and other social media. They came forward in preparing apps to facilitate quick response in times of emergency. These measures helped police on concentrating on their core activities such as investigation and presenting the evidence before courts, while police Mitra performed the role of assisting police in peripheral activities. The net result was that the police public relations were at the best throughout, when the scheme operated. Details of the scheme were presented to Hon. Prime Minister and Hon. Home Minister of India during the annual conference of Ds.G.P. held at Runn of Kutchh in 2015.The same was appreciated.
Limitation of the scheme is that the scheme can continue only if senior police officers show interest in the same. The scheme is entirely dependent on how the senior officers consider it. If the senior officer is not in favour of it, the scheme is ill fated. The local people keep on requesting for continuation of the scheme, but it doesn’t get activated, if senior officers are reluctant. Otherwise, it does not involve any amendments to existing laws and does not have any financial implications to the treasury. Junior officers at various places have continued to implement the scheme individually but there is need to have support from the senior officers as well as from the government. The scheme would be sustainable when it is continued for a long period under the able supervision of senior police officers. If the government of India or any state government desires, it can launch the same as it is most desirable in winning the confidence of the people and absolutely imperative in creation of modern democratic India. States such as Rajasthan, Gujarat and Railway Police are reportedly implementing it. The scheme has the potential to satisfy aspirations of the people effectively and promises that people and police together can ensure peace and promote development with active participation of all stake holders. There is no better way of improving police public relations than implementation of the above model in India. This change in attitude of senior police officers is the most important software to usher police reforms in the direction of pro-people policies. The scheme needs to be made part of the police training programs at all levels.

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