Abstract
The paper presents a unique model for promoting peace and justice in the community. Instead of classical model where only police officers and policemen take upon themselves the responsibility of maintaining peace in the society, the proposed model looks at it from the stake holders’ perspective. The scheme is called Police Mitra. Mitra means true friend. The scheme envisages involving people in association with police in educating the people about measures to be taken to live risk free life and thereby promote peace and justice in the community. It advocates ‘police- people relations’ improve when police trust people and involve them in discharging the responsibility of adopting to modern ways of life.
Key words
#Maintaing law-and -order
# Involvement of stake holders in community policing
# Service provision through pragmatic pluralism
# Preventing of street crimes, cybercrimes
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, in India, police are mandated to follow Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code and other Central and State laws enacted from time to time. As per this model, police should faithfully register offences as reported by the complainants, investigate the same and submit the charge-sheet to courts. In order to supervise effective supervision on police officers, the British 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, who were bestowed the powers of the magistrates. This model suited the British rulers as the British 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 colonial masters and the role envisaged that the public remains fearful of them and anyone speaking or acting contrary to continuation of British rule was dubbed as anti-national and hence necessarily had to be effectively neutralised. This model was in existence in most of the Commonwealth countries where the British regime prevailed. As long as the British ruled India, this model worked to their advantage. But this model started experiencing cracks as the freedom movement in the nature of peaceful mass struggle as well as violent actions by many freedom fighters kept on challenging and puncturing efficiency of the British rule. This model continued even after the British were compelled to leave in 1947 and there were very few changes. The system has now become overburdened and neither the police not the courts are in a position to tackle it to the satisfaction of the people. The net result is frequent break downs in law-and-order situation, phenomenal growth in traditional and modern criminal activities including cyber as well as economic offences. People continue to attack policemen frequently not only in serious law and order situation but even in simple law enforcement such as traffic duties. Frequently people complain that instead of promoting peace, police are favouring political masters and protecting their illegal activities. The situation acquires the nature of class conflict, when persons with economic and muscle power are able to violate the laws trampling the human rights of the ordinary people. In the process, a nexus has emerged among the corrupt politicians, criminals and law enforcing agencies, leaving the people to wonder who can bring change in the situation and promote peace and justice to the common people. In brief, police have become reactionary and usually reach after the critical situation or crime has taken place.
- Analysis of various models about policing and taking into account historical, social, legal, and economic situation in India, we need a model which would address aspirations of Indians and meet the requirements of emerging India. New India is having demographic surplus, it is dominated by youth and is free from colonial biases. In new India many men & women 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, an innovative model called police Mitra (volunteers) scheme was conceived to promote peace and justice in the society. The below mentioned scheme was implemented effectively in the western state of Maharashtra, India.
- Esman, Milton J. in his book ‘Management dimensions of development: perspectives and strategies’ (Kumarian Press, Connecticut, USA, 1991) demonstrates that “we must go beyond early development approaches that viewed the centralized state as the main motor of social progress. He builds a case for multiorganizational strategies sensitive to all players within a society-government, private enterprise, and voluntary organizations.”. He 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 various sectors including in health education and industries.
- While there is no hesitation in taking help from all stake holders in addressing these societal requirements, how it is that the same principle is rejected in maintaining peace and providing justice which is crucial for development. There is an element of distrust against citizens. The colonial powers trained the police officers to suspect every one as criminal and cheat. Maintenance of law and order was considered monopoly of the State and symbol of sovereignty.
- In the light of above-mentioned theoretical background, while working as Commissioner of Police, Nagpur City from 2008 to 2010, I made an experiment by launching this community policing scheme in the city for improving police public relations and thereby implement innovative way of promoting peace and justice. Nagpur city had a population of three million, while the number of police was about six thousand. Every police station was encouraged to actively involve local adult persons from all religions 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 in areas near schools and colleges. They were trained in managing huge fairs, religious 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 peace and justice. 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. This also effectively reduced the intra-society clashes on several matters. While in rest of the State, Street crimes were increasing at the rate of 12%, the street level crimes in Nagpur city 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. In fact, these volunteers were acting as ‘ambassadors’ of peace and justice in an innovative manner.
- 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. As cities keep on growing rapidly in distant places, police stations are not increased in the same speed. However, presence of 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. Significantly, incidents of radicalisation among the youth were reported immediately and the victims of radicalisation were restored to normalcy within no time.
- Encouraged by this spirit found among the citizens towards innovative ways to maintain peace and promote justice, when I took over as Director General of Police (DGP), in 2015, I decided to implement the scheme of Police Mitra in Maharashtra except in 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 scheduled tribe reduced by more than ten per cent. Incidents of street crimes including chain snatching, robberies, reduced drastically. Over all the objective of preventing crime as well as maintaining t law-and- order was achieved very well with the cooperation of people. Several Muslim youths who were radicalised and were about to join the ISIS, could be retrieved and returned to normalcy. The parents of these youth were thankful to police. The best part of the scheme was that it was fine-tuned by station house officers with local requirements. In coastal areas, these police Mitra worked for coastal security to guard against smuggling of weapons, drugs and illegal entrants across the seas. In rural areas, they did patrol to prevent armed robberies. In city areas, they worked to promote communal harmony, regulate traffic, managing huge mobs on special occasions such as Eid, Muharram, Lord Ganapathi celebrations and Navratri festivals which witnessed crowds that were difficult to control by policemen alone. Moreover, these police Mitra were available day and night as per the requirement of local police station. They did not ask for 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 identifying radicalised Muslim youth, to counsel them, educate internet users against cybercrimes, preventing economic offenses, preserving property, securing vulnerable children, elderly citizens and strengthening security of women. They prepared short videos, drew cartoons, wrote scripts, poems and uploaded these on U tube and other social media. They organised debates for youth, and participated in street level short dramas to promote measures to reduce conflicts. They came forward in preparing apps to facilitate quick response in times of emergency. They implemented an app to track stolen vehicles, potentially being used for terrorist offenses. 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 preventing crimes. The net result was that the police public relations were at the best throughout, when the scheme was implemented.
- Limitation of the scheme is that the scheme can continue only if senior police officers show interest in implementing it. The scheme is entirely dependent on how the senior officers consider it While, the local people keep on requesting for continuation of the scheme, if the senior officer is not in favour of it, the scheme is ill fated. Otherwise, the scheme does not involve any amendments to existing laws and does not have any financial implications to the treasury. 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 have reportedly replicated the scheme. 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. The scheme can be replicated in other democratic countries as well.
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