COMMUNITY POLICING SHRI SANKAR SEN DG NHRC Investigation

COMMUNITY POLICING SHRI SANKAR SEN DG NHRC (Investigation) Senior Fellow INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES 8, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj New Delhi – 110 070, INDIA Phone: 0091 -011 -26121902, 1909 Mobile: 09810321503 -

1. Confusion regarding the meaning and contents of Community Policing - the word has often been used imprecisely

2. Community Policing refers to arrangements for policing that accord significant role to the community in defining and guiding policing in the locality - a paradigm shift in police philosophy and strategy

3. Dawn of professional policing model in 1950’s. Key features of professional policing - alienation of the community from the police. Technological advances reducing contact between the police and the public

4. Emergence of Community Policing in 1970's and 80's - community was perceived as coproducers with the police of safety and order

5.

(a) Community based crime prevention

(b) Decentralization of command

Increased accountability to local communities (c)

(d) Reorientation of police patrol activities to render non-emergency services

Does not mean cessation of police efforts to control crime. Investigating police has to continue side by side with Community Policing. To win community's trust, the police have to demonstrate its sincerity in seeking community's help in combating crime and disorder (e)

(b) It minimizes the police over- reaction, transforms police officers from being agents of law to the upholders community values

(c) Increases job satisfaction for the police in ongoing community programmes

(d) Enhances police accountability to the community

7.

More freedom to the officials within appropriate restraints in carrying out the jobs. Survey by the U. S. Department of Justice in 12 cities in USA - outcome of the survey.

8. COMMUNITY POLICING TRADITIONS AND EXPERIMENTS IN INDIA

(a) Policing under the GUPTAS and the MAURYAS

(b) Police Act of 1861 -Article 17 and 19 of the Police Act

(c) The Act of 1861 created a ruler appointed police and not people's police in the country

INITIATIVES AFTER INDEPENDENCE 9.

(a) Karnataka Village Defence Party Act 1960 - functioning of the Village Defence Parties.

(b) Kerala experiments

(c)Friends of Police movement in Tamil Nadu

Strong and weak points of FOP Movement (d)

Bhiwandi experiment (e)

Spectacular work done by Mohalla Committees under an energetic officer (f)

(g) Mohalla Committees set up in Mumbai in 1992 -93. Successful not only in promoting communal harmony, but instrumental in amicably settling disputes among members of different communities

Community Policing Reserve Training Centers (PCRTC) that have been set up to facilitate grievance redressal of common people and serve as nodal points for community oriented schemes like combating domestic violence, helping the aged, encouraging the de-addiction programmes, etc.

11. In respect of the Community Policing initiatives and experiments in India following points deserve further attention

(a) Success of rural based community policing programmes has been limited. There is an urban and rural divide

Lack of continuity unhealthy predecessor and successor syndrome at work (b)

(c) Inadequate training for police personnel entrusted with the responsibility of Community Policing

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE iss@nda. vsnl. net. in Sankar_sen@mantraonline. com Sankar Sen, IPS (Retd. ) Senior Fellow Institute of Social Sciences 8 Nelson Mandela Road Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110 070, INDIA Tel: 0091 -011 -26121902, 26895370