Academy JournalVOLUME 54 NO 2

BETWEEN THE FIRE AND THE FIRE ENGINEMahmood bin Muhammad IPSFormer Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia Hyderabad

DEATH PENALTY FOR THE RAPISTS IS NOT THE ANSWERSankar Sen IPSFormer Director SVP National Police AcademyFormer Director-General National Human Rights CommissionSenior Fellow Institute of Social Science New Delhi

SEARCH FOR THAT EXTRATGL Iyer IPSFormer Director-General CRPFDirector Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Nagpur

INDIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY AND POLICE RESPONSE:PAST, PRESENT AND FUTUREDr S Krishnamurthy IPS (1967:Kar)Director-General of Police Training Karnataka

TRAINING IN CYBER CRIME : KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CELLDr SC Agarwal IPS (1973:WB)Inspector General of Police Training West Bengal

WOMEN LEADERS IN POLICE:INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUESJija Madhavan H Singh IPS (1975:Kar)Chief Vigilance Officer Airports Authority of India New Delhi

CRYING CHALLENGE BEFORE WOMEN IN INDIA - A PERSPECTIVETejdeep Kaur Menon IPS (1983:AP)IGP Special Protection Force Andhra PradeshGolden Jubilee Research Fellow SVP NPA

EVER FIGHTING MENAP Maheshwari IPS (1984:UP)Deputy Inspector General of Police CRPF Bongaigaon Assam

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR POLICEM Nageswara Rao IPS (1986:OR)Director and DIG State Crime Records Bureau Bhubaneswar

COMMUNITY POLICING IN ANDHRA PRADESHC Ramachandra Naidu IPS (1986:AP)Deputy Inspector-General Community Relations & Maithri Andhra Pradesh

NON-LETHAL WEAPONS IN MOB CONTROLSN Pradhan IPS (1988:Jar)Deputy Director SVP National Police Academy Hyderabad

COMPUTER VIRUSES AND DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMMuktesh Chander IPS (1989:AGMUT)Senior Superintendent of Police Crime Panaji Goa

RIMODALVarun Kapoor IPS (1991:MP)Superintendent of Police Ratlam Madhya Pradesh

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3 July - Dec 2002

BETWEEN THE FIRE AND THE FIRE ENGINE

Mahmood bin Muhammad

When asked by a member of

Parliament to take a neutral stand on anissue, Prime Minister Winston Churchillis said to have replied “How can I beneutral between the fire and the fireengine?”

When Ahmedabad was on fire forthree days following the Godhraincident, the local law-enforcementagency remained neutral in a differentsense. It was not just a case of passiveneutrality or even ineptitude andpusillanimity. Nor was it a case of beingvictim, of deception and calumny. It wasclearly a case of the fence eating into thefield and the arm of the law breaking thelaw.

In terms of sheer nobility, thepolice, I think, is second only to themedical profession. Just imagine a patient

suffering a heart attack and a victimunder a physical attack and theirreaction to the sudden appearancebefore them of a doctor/policeman. Insuch a situation, the doctor and the cop,both symbols of hope, would appear tobe no less than God-sent angels! WhatJesus Christ once told the disciples iswholly applicable to the Police: “Ye arethe salt of the earth: but if the salt havelost its savour, wherewith shall it besalted. It is then good for nothing but tobe thrown out and trampled under foot.-(New Testament, Mathew V 13).

The gruesome happenings inGujarat illustrate, in a nutshell, thechanging face of civil services in thecountry. The police is the most visiblesymbol of state authority. For oneseeking relief, they are the first in thelegal system.

Academy Journal 4

The police agency is the first tohear the anguished cry of a victim in theform of an FIR. “Why is it that we hold apoliceman in awe?” asked Rajaji onceand himself answered: “It is because weknow that the entire authority of the stateis behind him.” That authority has to beused to relieve and not to cause or ignorehuman suffering as happened in Gujarat.

There are clear and specificinstructions laid down in Police Manualsand Regulations to prevent or pre-emptand control communal trouble. Existinglaws are strong enough to tackle anysituation. There are resolutions passedby the National Integration Councilcalling for exemplary punishments to bemeted out to errant officials. Communaltrouble will stop only when the trouble-makers are convinced that their arrest willbe swift, prosecution prompt andsentence substantial. The police shouldnot hesitate to shoot whoever fomentscommunal violence and deal with thesituation ruthlessly. Even anoverwhelming show of force ordemonstrative use of force by firing inthe air often ensures that almost no forceis used. Quite often, the policethemselves to blame; blame it on thebogey of so-called political interference.Hence, the good intentions have noeffect and the instructions remain onpaper.

I have heard of a Governor of Biharin British India who issued anadministrative fiat to the effect that SHOsin charge of stations where communalriots were endemic should, if oneoccurred again, assume that they hadbeen suspended from service and abstainfrom duty. There was no trouble afterthat. A desperate disease calls for adrastic remedy. It is important that theofficials are convinced that if all goeswell, they will be rewarded but, if not,heads will roll! Political will and amotivated force are the only answers tocommunal riots.

What, then, is the problem andhow do we set about finding a lastingsolution?

Praful Bidwai, an eminentcolumnist, shared with the readers of theTimes of India dated July 28, 1994, certainstartling facts revealed during his visitto the Lal Bahadur Shastri NationalAcademy of Administration, Mussoorie,where those selected for the all-India andcentral services undergo a commonfoundational course. Here are some ofthe findings:

“On the night of December 6,1992the probationers of the 58th batch held aparty to celebrate the demolition of theBabri Mosque. The revelries wereattended by a majority of probationers.Among those who “took the lead weresome of the top scorers of the all-Indiacompetitive examinations.”

“The academy’s house journal’slatest issue carries a piece by Mr. BarunKumar Sahu, “North-East: Between Islamand Christianity.” Around partition, itsays, Muslims crossed over to the north-east. In secular India, they only enjoyedspecial protections … as such severalregions of the north-east are Muslim-dominated, about one-third of theBengalis living in the north-east areBangladeshi nationals a large number ofsuch Bangladeshi nationals live ineastern West Bengal, north-easternBihar, Delhi and Bombay, etc. Theirnumber may be in crores. Crores offoreign encroachers in India! God saveIndia.”

“Mr. Sahu, from a north-east IAScadre, does not cite a single fact butcomments that the region is “gettingdrowned in the flood of advancing Islamand Christianity” and asks: “In a secularstate, will there be some room for thenative religions”.

When asked about this, theDirector admitted that “there is asignificant amount of communal opinionamong the IAS probationers … it is aworrisome phenomenon. We have notbeen able to tackle this yet, although weare trying.” But a former Director, B.N.

Yugandhar hit the nail on the head: “Wetest people for the wrong things and thenare unable to get rid of the chaff .”

A few years ago, Vibhut NarainRai, a senior I.P.S. officer of the U.P. cadre,had come out with certain bitter hometruths. In a study conducted under afellowship at the S.V.P. National PoliceAcademy, Hyderabad, he proved bystatistics that “deep anti-Muslimprejudices exist in our police force, that(in communal riots) loss of well over 75per cent of the life and property wasalways suffered by the Muslims (in someplaces 90 per cent) and yet many moreMuslims were arrested (and their homessearched) than Hindus.”

These conclusions are supportedby several judicial enquiry commissionreports, viz., Justice JaganmohanReddy’s report on Ahmedabad (1969),Justice NR Madon’s report on Bhiwandiand Jalgaon (1970), Justice Mathew’sreport on incidents in Kerala (1971),Justice Sir Sinha’s report on Jamshedpur(1979), Justice Saksena’s report(unpublished) on Moradabad (1980), andthe most recent Justice BN SrikrishnaCommission report on incidents inMumbai, following the Babri Masjiddemolition in 1992. These reports havehighlighted the partisan attitude of thepolice and also the inaccuracy of theperception that Muslims always start acommunal riot. And yet, all such reportsremained unimplemented and nooffender was punished nor victimscompensated. No errant official was alsoawarded exemplary punishment.

The Gore Committee on PoliceTraining (1971) observed with emphasis:“There is a need for a secular outlookand a sympathetic attitude in dealingwith the victims of communal violenceand religious bigotry. All the modernequipment and training available in thepolice force can achieve nothing if theirminds are not free from the prejudice ofcaste, religion and parochialism. Theacquisition of a secular outlook is

5 July - Dec 2002

essential, since the goals of socialdevelopment can never be achieved iflarge sections of the people are denied afeeling of involvement on the ground ofcaste, religion or language. Guidelineshave been prescribed by the Governmentfor prompt and determined action on thepart of the police and administrativeagencies in dealing with problemsrelating to the minorities. It is necessaryto inculcate a habit of prompt, vigorousand firm response on the part of law-enforcement officers whenever thesecular concept is under threat.”

BN Mullik (a former IB Director)said: “The mind of every police officer -whatever religion he may profess - mustbe clear on the point that he has taken apledge to protect the people and it is hissacred duty to protect the weak againstthe strong and the minority against themajority.”

The police in modern India facechallenges without precedent. The ruleof law may be argued in parliament andthe courts but it is upheld and practicedin the streets by the police service. Neverin our history has the policeman’s jobbeen more difficult. A new brand of policeservice, insulated from politicalpressures and accountable only to thecourts and the people, with a brand newimage of competence, commitment andcompassion, is what the country needs.The Mussoorie experience of 1992,quoted above, should have set the alarmbells ringing in North Block as it clearlybrings out the need for a wise recruitmentpolicy. Recruitment is the corner stoneof the whole public personnel structure.Recruitment means attracting the “rightman” to the service, not merely choosing

the best among the applicants as we donow. It is not right to assume thatintelligence and integrity, brilliance andcharacter always go together. Trainingcan groom, polish and stimulate but itcannot create. It can awaken the giant, ifany, asleep in us but it cannot create one.In any case, it cannot go to the extent of“rectifying the original error.” In manycases, (the age limit being so high) nine-tenth of the damage is already done tothe personality of the individual beforehe enters the police force; only one tenthis left for training. The Gore Committeehad recommended development ofaptitude and psychological tests whichcan help to bring out the best and theworst in a candidate at the time of entry.But the recommendation, like many othergood ones, is in deep freeze. The mills ofgovernment, as always, grind slowly. Inthe case of the police, they grind far moreslowly.

A policeman of today is expectedto be far more than a mere watchman. Bythe very nature of he tasks, he must be asocial scientist in action. He must belongto the category of those who can breakup a dogfight. He must possess qualitiesof a contradictory nature, qualities likeintellect end commonsense, firmness endtactfulness, the persuasiveness of alawyer and the impartiality of a judge,the diagnostic skill of a doctor and theendurance of a patient and to top it all,the skin of a rhinoceros and the smile ofa film star! Add to these qualities of goodleadership initiative, courage, decision-making, besides a sense of humour. Hemust be impartial, humane andcompassionate, which is what secularismis about. He must carry the people withhim and, at the same time, be prepared to

obstruct them when communal passionsrob them of their innate good sense andjudgment. In ordinary matters, he mustswim with the current but in matter ofprinciple, he must stand like a rock. Theworst thing that can happen to astraightforward officer is a transfer.

Years ago, when a Minister toldan SP that he was not popular, thelatter had the guts and gumption to reply.“ I am not elected, Sir. I was appointed.”

February, 28 was a black day inAhmedabad for the police when PCPande, Commissioner, reportedly toldGirish Patel, a lawyer and civil rightsactivist, over the phone: “I am helpless.Even my men are going on the rampage.”

If the Gujarat outrage has oneimportant lesson for the topmanagement, it is this: “We test thepeople for the wrong things and thenare unable to get rid of the chaff.” Forthe police in India, the crying need is forthe “right” men,

“Men whose consciences are assteady as the needle to the pole,

Men who will stand for the rightthough the heavens totter andthe earth reels,

Men who can tell the truth andlook the world right in the eye,

Men who are not ashamed to sayNo with emphasis.”

* * *

Every success is usuallyEvery success is usuallyEvery success is usuallyEvery success is usuallyEvery success is usuallyan admission ticket to a new set of decisionsan admission ticket to a new set of decisionsan admission ticket to a new set of decisionsan admission ticket to a new set of decisionsan admission ticket to a new set of decisions

Academy Journal 6

DEATH PENALTY FOR THE RAPISTS

IS NOT THE ANSWER

S a n k a r S e n

Rape of a girl student of

Maulana Azad Medical College inbroad daylight on November 15, hasvery justifiably caused deep concernamong the citizens of Delhi. Schooland college going girl students as wellas working women have reasons tofeel shaken and frightened. Incensedat the increasing incidence of rape andcrime against women in the capital,Members of the Parliament have alsodemanded that law should be amendedto provide death sentence for therapists. The Union Home Minister LKAdvani also has favoured deathpenalty for the rapists and promisedto enact a law for this purpose.However, righteous indignation is nosubstitute for a pragmatic response,which is needed effectively to dealwith the growing incidence of this

horrendous crime. Mere provision ofdeath penalty in the statute book willnot act as a deterrent. Lawenforcement officers as well as thecriminologists know that the realdeterrent against crimes is thecertainty and not the severity ofpunishment. Experience shows thatpassing of stringent anti rape laws hasnot reduced the crime. The CriminalLaw Amendment Act, 1983, waspassed as a response to the growingpublic opinion demanding stringentanti-rape laws. It amended section 376of the Indian Penal Code andenhanced punishment of rape byproviding that it shall not be less thanseven years, and if the punishmentimposed in less than 7 years, the courtwill have to record in its judgment,adequate and special reasons for this.

7 July - Dec 2002

It also provided for the sameoffense, enhanced punishment ofminimum 10 years of imprisonment forPolice Officers or the staff of jail orremand homes and other places ofcustody established by law.Unfortunately, passing of this stringentlaw has not reduced the incidence ofthis crime which is increasing in differentparts of the country. Figures furnishedin ‘Crime in India’ by the National CrimeRecords Bureau of 15031 cases of rapein 1998 reveal only the tip of the iceberg.A large number of cases go unreportedand unregistered. Due to the shame andstigma attached to the victim, raperemains one of the most misunderstoodand unreported crimes. The situation inthis respect is not peculiar to India. TheNational Crime Victim Survey in Australiafound that only 32 percent of the victimsof rape reported the assault.

It is wishful to think that mereprovision of death penalty will deter theperpetrators of the crime. On the otherhand, there is every likelihood thatbecause of enhanced punishment thecourt will analyze the evidence moreclosely and refrain from imposing themaximum penalty because of the fear ofmiscarriage of justice. All Indiaconviction rate in rape cases is justabout 28 percent. Some of the reasonsfor poor conviction are shoddyinvestigation, negative medical opinion,inordinate delay in the disposal of thecases, thus allowing time to the accusedpersons to gain over the witnesses, etc.There is very often unfortunate delay inthe disposal of cases in courts of law.From a sample study done by a studygroup of the Bureau of Police andResearch and Development it wasfound that the trial of rape casesprolongs for years, though section 309Cr P C provides for trial on a day-to-daybasis. It is common knowledge thatcases take between 3 to 12 years to bedecided because even after decision ofthe trial courts, appeals can be made tothe High Court and Supreme Court. Ithas also been stated by the SupremeCourt that the defense lawyers often try

to prolong the case in order to influencethe witnesses in the hope that the lapseof time will affect their recall.

Prolonging the trial only heightenstrauma of the victims. There should beall-out-efforts by the court to reduce thetime frame in the disposal of the casesin view of the agony of the victim andtheir family members during trial stage.Bangladesh has now passed an Act (Actno 18 of 1995) for prevention ofatrocities against women and children,which provides that investigation andtrial of rape cases should be completedwithin 90 days. Further, the reports ofthe medical and forensic experts will beaccepted as evidence by the courtwithout asking them to appear in thecourt for tendering evidence.

Agony of the rape victims duringtrial is compounded by the fact thatsection 155 (4) of the Indian EvidenceAct, 1872, permits the cross examiner toask the rape victim questions about herpast character. These questions aboutthe character and antecedents of thevictim can be very embarrassing. It isnecessary to amend the section of thislaw as recommended by the LawCommission, as it is patently unfair anddiscriminatory to the rape victim.Embarrassing cross-examinationsshould not also be permitted by thecourts. “A socially sensitive judge” inthe memorable words of the SupremeCourt “is a better statutory answeragainst gender outrage than the longclauses of complex sections with all theprotection writ into it”.

The Court also imposes lenientpunishment. There is the well-knowncase where a court exonerated twoyoung men of the crime, because it feltthat the accused suffered enough asundertrial. In many cases maximumpunishment is not imposed on PoliceOfficers for custodial rape by adducingsome extenuating factors. In SumanRani’s case the doctor who hadconducted the medical examination

testified that the girl was used to sexualintercourse, and the court went toreduce the sentence of the threepolicemen to 5 years instead of thestatutory minimum of 10 years. Manycourts, view rape as a sex crime thatoccurs because of the “uncontrollablenatural lust” of men and therefore tendtowards leniency in sentencing. Thefact, however is that rape is very oftenan act of violence that uses sex as aweapon. Recent research in the field hasestablished that rape is motivated byaggression and the rapist is notsuccumbing into uncontrollable lust butproving his masculinity by degradingthe victim.

The Commissioner of Police,Delhi, though berated by the media, isright in pointing out that increasing thenumber of policemen will not reduce theincidence of rape and molestation. Thefact has to be borne in mind that manyof the rapes are committed by knownpersons. Menachem Amir’s study of therape cases from the Police records ofPhiladelphia shows that rape cases werenot sudden occurrences and had beencarefully planned. In the US nation widevictim survey it was found that only 22per cent of the victims were raped bythe strangers. An analysis of the rapecases in Delhi also shows that only 13per cent of the cases in 2001 and 11.8per cent cases in 2002 the crimes werecommitted by unknown persons and therest were committed by relatives andpersons known to the victims.

Triennial statistics also show thatcrimes of rape and molestation of womenhave gone down in Delhi. It is not fair todebunk the Commissioner of Police forquoting the declining crime figures.Statistics can be misleading, but this isthe yardstick by which the policeperformance is evaluated in Parliamentand State Legislature and also by themedia. The answer is free registration ofcases and victimisation survey as isdone in many western countries to get acorrect picture of the crime situation.

Academy Journal 8

For this, the Police Chief must begiven a free hand and not pilloried,because there will be a sharp escalationof crime figures if free registration ofcases is done.

To effectively combat thishorrendous crime, a series of countermeasures are called for.

First, there should be thoroughpainstaking investigation of the rapecases by professional and experiencedinvestigators, who are sympathetic andsupportive of the victims. Ofteninvestigation in done on a casual andlackadaisical manner. The victims shouldbe encouraged to provide as muchdetails as possible. DNA testing now canprovide conclusive evidence in rapecases. At present, DNA testing facilitiesare inadequate. There is also lack ofinterest among the investigating officersto use this technique to fix theidentification of the rapist.

Second, there should be quickdisposal of the cases in courts of lawand determent punishment of theoffenders. Researches in USA haveshown that lengthy prison sentenceshave some behaviour-altering deterrentvalue. Conviction rate of 47.4 per cent in

rape cases in Delhi is better than thenational average of 28.7 per cent.However, it is not known if thepunishment imposed is deterrent orlenient.

Third, quality of prosecution andcalibre of the prosecuting staff mustimprove. Overburdened publicprosecutors of average ability are oftenoutmatched and out-manoeuvred bymore experienced advocates engaged bythe accused persons.

Fourth, the victim should beencouraged to lodge complaintsimmediately as failure to lodgecomplaints is an indirect encouragementto the rapists. Fortunately, many womenare now coming forward to report.Women should be advised to keep a clearhead and observe the perpetratorcarefully for identification in future andremember his behaviour and verbalactivity during the assault.

Fifth, rape crisis centers shouldbe set up as in countries like UK andUSA to advise the victims. Delhi Policehas set up some Crisis InvestigationCenters comprising of doctors, lawyers,prosecutors and psychologists to helpand advise the victims and their family

members. The Commissioner shouldconvince himself through contact withthe victims that the latter are satisfiedwith the functioning of these Centers.

Sixth, instead of merely blaming thePolice, the members of the public haveto step forward for the defence of theharassed women in the capital. Thepresent indifference of Delhi residentsto the plight of women is downrightshocking.

Seventh, there should beprovisions for the payment ofcompensation by the State to the victimsof crime like rape. At present u/s 357 ofthe Criminal Procedure Code, the finelevelled against the accused can beordered by the court to be given to thevictims as compensation. In the DelhiDomestic Working Women’s Forum case,the Supreme Court gave a direction tothe government to set up a CriminalInjuries Direction Board. It furtherdirected that compensation to thevictims should be awarded by the Boardnot only on conviction of the offender,but also whether or not conviction hastaken place.

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The ultimate measure of a manThe ultimate measure of a manThe ultimate measure of a manThe ultimate measure of a manThe ultimate measure of a manis notis notis notis notis not

where he stands in moments ofwhere he stands in moments ofwhere he stands in moments ofwhere he stands in moments ofwhere he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, comfort and convenience, comfort and convenience, comfort and convenience, comfort and convenience,

but where he stands but where he stands but where he stands but where he stands but where he standsat times ofat times ofat times ofat times ofat times of

challenge and controversychallenge and controversychallenge and controversychallenge and controversychallenge and controversy

9 July - Dec 2002

SEARCH FOR THAT EXTRA

TGL Iyer

Any young batsman starting outmagnificently is compared to DonaldBradman. Being dubbed the ‘New Don’is the ultimate accolade for the youngblade. Any businessman prospering inhis enterprise is compared to DhirubhaiAmbani who is the icon whom manyadmire and worship. Any freedom-fightertrying to free his people from the yoke ofslavery and suppression is compared toMahatma Gandhi. Why do they compareto icons and models when a person isgrowing into a new mould? To compareis quite easy; to glorify is still easier butto make up and come up to their level isan ordeal. In the process some make itand others don’t. The promising hopefulstend to vanish like mirages in superheatedand super-competitive sands of time.Some carry on; some burn out; somecome to a dead end. Very few grow into aLeader and Hero!

Leaders grow into the job. The IPSofficer is a leader. The growth-stimulantsare many and some are listed below.

First, the temperament should bea balanced one, neither fixed norvacillating. Right or wrong, he has to bea decision-maker.

He can consult others, debatewith himself, refer to past performancesor rely on experience and instinct. Forsound decision-making, thetemperament has to be as placid andserene as still waters

Even in still waters, the surfacemay be covered with moss. If the mossis separated or removed, he can see theclear water below till the bottom.Temperament should be without thatmoss!

Academy Journal 10

Second, the officer should havea positive attitude. Like the run-chasein cricket, saving match-points intennis and badminton; playing in theopponent’s goal area as in football andhockey, the officer has to take hisgame to the opponent’s court, play hisbest, show his excellence and leave theresults to show. The approach shouldbe ‘once in a life-time attitude’ or‘there is no second chance to score ina crisis’ and so on. For this, an icy-candy approach is essential.

Third, the officer should developsuccess-consciousness, despitelimited ability, limited resources and noadvice from any quarters. As ErnestHemingway said: “Man can bedestroyed but never vanquished”.The spirit of the leader should not die.He should have the mentality of risingfrom the ashes as Japan and Germanydid after the second World War. Evenin failure, there is success. Ultimately,when a decision is judged, the judgessee whether all the wits, skills andtalents have been used although theoutcome might be adverse.

Fourth, the officer should havesound judgment which comes throughexperience, maturity and willingness toface challenges and crisis-situations.A sound judgment may not be perfect;but it will be near-perfect. We mustknow that there is nothing calledabsolute or perfect in this world. Asound judgment and its execution willhave acceptance from the majority.There will always be an odd critic inany milieu; but so long as the officerknows that he is right, he will have noregrets and, surprisingly, it will havegeneral acceptance.

Fifth, firmness in execution ofdecisions without hesitation orvacillation. For example, if a violentcrowd is to be dispersed, the quantumof force to be used is alwaysdebatable. But if minimum force is usedto achieve maximum results, it willalways have public acceptance.

Sometimes, we find that officers runinto panic, run away from crisis or useexcessive force or delay action whichresults in more casualties. A rightdecision is one which is timed properly,executed firmly and pursued till theintended results are achieved .

Sixth, seizing advantage at theopportune moment turns the tables toreach the goal and objective. Forexample, in the second World War, theBattle of Stanlingrad proved thatstopping the German troops to perishin the winter was turning adisadvantage into an opportunity, aprobable defeat into a victory. Duringdark hours of World War II, WinstonChurchill replied to the question of ajournalist, “You ask what is ourpolicy? I will say, it is to wage warwith all our might and with all thestrength that God can give us. You askwhat is our aim? It is victory, forwithout victory there is no survival.”The point is that somewhere beyondthe darkness there would be a brighterand gentler light.

Seventh, there is no scoreboardin decision making. There is no win-win situation in dealing with the publicby the police. It is a lose-win situationalways. It should appear as ‘win’ tothe Government and the people and‘loss’ to the Police. How can such acontradiction and paradox beachieved? It is yielding to somedemands of the people or crowd toachieve an objective. For example, wesee that in long distance running, thewinner may not be in the lead. Heconserves his energy for the last burst.He yields place to the person whoultimately runs out of steam. The end-result is vital and important than anyother.

Eighth, the police have always aresponsibility to discharge than meretackling the people. Thisresponsibility has to be performedwithout any complaint or grievance. Itis their duty to protect the weak from

the predators and raiders who bendand break the law. It is a sacred dutywhich cannot be avoided, shifted orpostponed. As Napolean Bonapartewrote to General Lauriston in 1804,“Death is nothing; but to live defeatedand inglorious is to die daily.”

There is a story in Mahabharataof King Sanjaya who returns back fromthe battlefield defeated and dejected.His mother Vidula standing at thepalace gate admonished him saying:“muhurtam jwalitaam shreyo na tudhumaayitam chiram” meaning: “It isbetter to flash forth once Ain yourlifetime than smoke away for ages.”With renewed vigour and enthusiasm,the son returned to the battlefield andwon a memorable victory. So is it withthe Police Officer. It is not only theprofessional responsibility but anindividual commitment to the peoplethat the Police Officer shall always beat the service in all conditions andcircumstances.

Ninth, remember thatswadharma is always better thanparadharma. It is better to fail in one’sown profession, occupation and dutythan succeed in another’s domain andduty. A Police Officer has to excel inhis own profession of maintaining lawand order, preventing crime, thandoing other duties like guardingbanks, escorting treasure andprotecting places of worship and soon. Long Fellow wrote, “Eachmorning, sees some task begin, eachevening sees it close. Somethingattempted, something done, has earneda night’s repose.”

Tenth, the good officer in thePolice should know how to do ‘goldmining’. He should not only beequipped himself with considerablemental and moral resources, butshould also be able to tap thesevaluable ores in others as well, in thesame way as the skilled prospectortaps gold.

11 July - Dec 2002

He should be the imaginativecaptain of the most cohesive team.Most of the successful officers in anydomain, especially in the police, havebeen and are supreme connoisseurs oftalent. Elbert Hubbard wrote, “Onemachine can do the work of fiftyordinary men. No machine can do thework of an extraordinary man”. The

Police Officer is really extraordinarybecause he is supposed to have thatExtra!

Lastly, a good Police Officercannot deviate from principles andpractices like the classical singer whoalways adheres and sticks to thebackground shruti (taanpura) while he

may deviate from tala (beats) and raga(tune). The Police Officer may deviateand experiment with situations butshall not leave his principles and idealswhich ultimately makes his professionsuccessful and meaningful to thecommunity from which he is born andgrown to his present role!

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So what if you don’t feel perfect?So what if you don’t feel perfect?So what if you don’t feel perfect?So what if you don’t feel perfect?So what if you don’t feel perfect?by Bruce D Schneider

Some of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked are: If we are the one with God, then whySome of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked are: If we are the one with God, then whySome of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked are: If we are the one with God, then whySome of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked are: If we are the one with God, then whySome of the most difficult questions I have ever been asked are: If we are the one with God, then whywouldn’t God have created us with that thought to begin with? What is the purpose of not knowing? Why don’twouldn’t God have created us with that thought to begin with? What is the purpose of not knowing? Why don’twouldn’t God have created us with that thought to begin with? What is the purpose of not knowing? Why don’twouldn’t God have created us with that thought to begin with? What is the purpose of not knowing? Why don’twouldn’t God have created us with that thought to begin with? What is the purpose of not knowing? Why don’twe feel perfect?we feel perfect?we feel perfect?we feel perfect?we feel perfect?

I meditated upon these questions for two decades before I was ready to see the answer. Before we areI meditated upon these questions for two decades before I was ready to see the answer. Before we areI meditated upon these questions for two decades before I was ready to see the answer. Before we areI meditated upon these questions for two decades before I was ready to see the answer. Before we areI meditated upon these questions for two decades before I was ready to see the answer. Before we areborn, we choose to exist and decide how best to help ourselves in the process of discovery. This is because eachborn, we choose to exist and decide how best to help ourselves in the process of discovery. This is because eachborn, we choose to exist and decide how best to help ourselves in the process of discovery. This is because eachborn, we choose to exist and decide how best to help ourselves in the process of discovery. This is because eachborn, we choose to exist and decide how best to help ourselves in the process of discovery. This is because eachindividual soul develops as it wishes, while assisting all other souls in their journey. All of us experience andindividual soul develops as it wishes, while assisting all other souls in their journey. All of us experience andindividual soul develops as it wishes, while assisting all other souls in their journey. All of us experience andindividual soul develops as it wishes, while assisting all other souls in their journey. All of us experience andindividual soul develops as it wishes, while assisting all other souls in their journey. All of us experience andgain more of an understanding of the nature of love. We choose who we will be and to whom we will be born,gain more of an understanding of the nature of love. We choose who we will be and to whom we will be born,gain more of an understanding of the nature of love. We choose who we will be and to whom we will be born,gain more of an understanding of the nature of love. We choose who we will be and to whom we will be born,gain more of an understanding of the nature of love. We choose who we will be and to whom we will be born,to best serve that purpose.to best serve that purpose.to best serve that purpose.to best serve that purpose.to best serve that purpose.

We also choose to experience ‘transformational amnesia’, to temporarily forget our spiritual consciousnessWe also choose to experience ‘transformational amnesia’, to temporarily forget our spiritual consciousnessWe also choose to experience ‘transformational amnesia’, to temporarily forget our spiritual consciousnessWe also choose to experience ‘transformational amnesia’, to temporarily forget our spiritual consciousnessWe also choose to experience ‘transformational amnesia’, to temporarily forget our spiritual consciousnessin order to adjust to the physical world and allow ‘real’ physical experiences. If we knew we were invulnerablein order to adjust to the physical world and allow ‘real’ physical experiences. If we knew we were invulnerablein order to adjust to the physical world and allow ‘real’ physical experiences. If we knew we were invulnerablein order to adjust to the physical world and allow ‘real’ physical experiences. If we knew we were invulnerablein order to adjust to the physical world and allow ‘real’ physical experiences. If we knew we were invulnerablespiritual beings, the effects of these physical experiences would have little or no significance for us. We wouldspiritual beings, the effects of these physical experiences would have little or no significance for us. We wouldspiritual beings, the effects of these physical experiences would have little or no significance for us. We wouldspiritual beings, the effects of these physical experiences would have little or no significance for us. We wouldspiritual beings, the effects of these physical experiences would have little or no significance for us. We wouldknow they were not real.know they were not real.know they were not real.know they were not real.know they were not real.

Imagine that you are a passenger on a flight during a severe storm. The plane is shaking and you seeImagine that you are a passenger on a flight during a severe storm. The plane is shaking and you seeImagine that you are a passenger on a flight during a severe storm. The plane is shaking and you seeImagine that you are a passenger on a flight during a severe storm. The plane is shaking and you seeImagine that you are a passenger on a flight during a severe storm. The plane is shaking and you seelightning all around you. The ‘fasten seat belt’ sign is illuminated and you start to get frightened. There’s alightning all around you. The ‘fasten seat belt’ sign is illuminated and you start to get frightened. There’s alightning all around you. The ‘fasten seat belt’ sign is illuminated and you start to get frightened. There’s alightning all around you. The ‘fasten seat belt’ sign is illuminated and you start to get frightened. There’s alightning all around you. The ‘fasten seat belt’ sign is illuminated and you start to get frightened. There’s alarge blast of thunder nearby, and the lights go out inside the cabin. People scream while the aircraft islarge blast of thunder nearby, and the lights go out inside the cabin. People scream while the aircraft islarge blast of thunder nearby, and the lights go out inside the cabin. People scream while the aircraft islarge blast of thunder nearby, and the lights go out inside the cabin. People scream while the aircraft islarge blast of thunder nearby, and the lights go out inside the cabin. People scream while the aircraft isbouncing up and down like a toy, feeling as if it could break apart at any second. Babies are crying and as youbouncing up and down like a toy, feeling as if it could break apart at any second. Babies are crying and as youbouncing up and down like a toy, feeling as if it could break apart at any second. Babies are crying and as youbouncing up and down like a toy, feeling as if it could break apart at any second. Babies are crying and as youbouncing up and down like a toy, feeling as if it could break apart at any second. Babies are crying and as youlook around, you can barely make out some people praying in the dark. Your heart beats faster, you start tolook around, you can barely make out some people praying in the dark. Your heart beats faster, you start tolook around, you can barely make out some people praying in the dark. Your heart beats faster, you start tolook around, you can barely make out some people praying in the dark. Your heart beats faster, you start tolook around, you can barely make out some people praying in the dark. Your heart beats faster, you start tosweat, your breath shortens, and panic becomes a possibility. You are terrified, and understandably so. No onesweat, your breath shortens, and panic becomes a possibility. You are terrified, and understandably so. No onesweat, your breath shortens, and panic becomes a possibility. You are terrified, and understandably so. No onesweat, your breath shortens, and panic becomes a possibility. You are terrified, and understandably so. No onesweat, your breath shortens, and panic becomes a possibility. You are terrified, and understandably so. No oneis telling you anything, and you wonder if the pilots are in control.is telling you anything, and you wonder if the pilots are in control.is telling you anything, and you wonder if the pilots are in control.is telling you anything, and you wonder if the pilots are in control.is telling you anything, and you wonder if the pilots are in control.

Suddenly, the plane calms down and the cabin lights come back on as you hear an announcement: ‘LadiesSuddenly, the plane calms down and the cabin lights come back on as you hear an announcement: ‘LadiesSuddenly, the plane calms down and the cabin lights come back on as you hear an announcement: ‘LadiesSuddenly, the plane calms down and the cabin lights come back on as you hear an announcement: ‘LadiesSuddenly, the plane calms down and the cabin lights come back on as you hear an announcement: ‘Ladiesand gentlemen, we are out of the storm now and it should be smooth for the duration of the flight.’ Someand gentlemen, we are out of the storm now and it should be smooth for the duration of the flight.’ Someand gentlemen, we are out of the storm now and it should be smooth for the duration of the flight.’ Someand gentlemen, we are out of the storm now and it should be smooth for the duration of the flight.’ Someand gentlemen, we are out of the storm now and it should be smooth for the duration of the flight.’ Somepassengers applaud, and you’re relieved.passengers applaud, and you’re relieved.passengers applaud, and you’re relieved.passengers applaud, and you’re relieved.passengers applaud, and you’re relieved.

What if you were watching a movie of yourself in this situation and knew the ending? Would you haveWhat if you were watching a movie of yourself in this situation and knew the ending? Would you haveWhat if you were watching a movie of yourself in this situation and knew the ending? Would you haveWhat if you were watching a movie of yourself in this situation and knew the ending? Would you haveWhat if you were watching a movie of yourself in this situation and knew the ending? Would you havebeen as scared? What if you knew during this predicament that everything would be OK? Would you have hadbeen as scared? What if you knew during this predicament that everything would be OK? Would you have hadbeen as scared? What if you knew during this predicament that everything would be OK? Would you have hadbeen as scared? What if you knew during this predicament that everything would be OK? Would you have hadbeen as scared? What if you knew during this predicament that everything would be OK? Would you have hadthe same emotional experience? Of course not. You needed to live through it without knowing, so you could gainthe same emotional experience? Of course not. You needed to live through it without knowing, so you could gainthe same emotional experience? Of course not. You needed to live through it without knowing, so you could gainthe same emotional experience? Of course not. You needed to live through it without knowing, so you could gainthe same emotional experience? Of course not. You needed to live through it without knowing, so you could gaina very ‘real’ experience. If you knew what would happen before it happened, it wouldn’t feel real.a very ‘real’ experience. If you knew what would happen before it happened, it wouldn’t feel real.a very ‘real’ experience. If you knew what would happen before it happened, it wouldn’t feel real.a very ‘real’ experience. If you knew what would happen before it happened, it wouldn’t feel real.a very ‘real’ experience. If you knew what would happen before it happened, it wouldn’t feel real.

This is the same with you physical existence. Before we are born, we choose to forget who we are so weThis is the same with you physical existence. Before we are born, we choose to forget who we are so weThis is the same with you physical existence. Before we are born, we choose to forget who we are so weThis is the same with you physical existence. Before we are born, we choose to forget who we are so weThis is the same with you physical existence. Before we are born, we choose to forget who we are so wecan get the most out of what is available for us to experience. We are in this world to experience all of life’scan get the most out of what is available for us to experience. We are in this world to experience all of life’scan get the most out of what is available for us to experience. We are in this world to experience all of life’scan get the most out of what is available for us to experience. We are in this world to experience all of life’scan get the most out of what is available for us to experience. We are in this world to experience all of life’ssituations as ‘reality’, so we can eventually know ourselves wholly, body, mind, and spirit, as Love. If yousituations as ‘reality’, so we can eventually know ourselves wholly, body, mind, and spirit, as Love. If yousituations as ‘reality’, so we can eventually know ourselves wholly, body, mind, and spirit, as Love. If yousituations as ‘reality’, so we can eventually know ourselves wholly, body, mind, and spirit, as Love. If yousituations as ‘reality’, so we can eventually know ourselves wholly, body, mind, and spirit, as Love. If yourealize you are here as a spiritual being, this suggests you have had enough physical experiences to being torealize you are here as a spiritual being, this suggests you have had enough physical experiences to being torealize you are here as a spiritual being, this suggests you have had enough physical experiences to being torealize you are here as a spiritual being, this suggests you have had enough physical experiences to being torealize you are here as a spiritual being, this suggests you have had enough physical experiences to being toawaken. You start to remember who you are and why you came here. You lose the feeling of isolation andawaken. You start to remember who you are and why you came here. You lose the feeling of isolation andawaken. You start to remember who you are and why you came here. You lose the feeling of isolation andawaken. You start to remember who you are and why you came here. You lose the feeling of isolation andawaken. You start to remember who you are and why you came here. You lose the feeling of isolation and‘remember’ yourself as part of the One Spirit.‘remember’ yourself as part of the One Spirit.‘remember’ yourself as part of the One Spirit.‘remember’ yourself as part of the One Spirit.‘remember’ yourself as part of the One Spirit.

Because we must first forget, most of us get caught up in the ‘reality’ of what we think we see and haveBecause we must first forget, most of us get caught up in the ‘reality’ of what we think we see and haveBecause we must first forget, most of us get caught up in the ‘reality’ of what we think we see and haveBecause we must first forget, most of us get caught up in the ‘reality’ of what we think we see and haveBecause we must first forget, most of us get caught up in the ‘reality’ of what we think we see and havea difficult time remembering who we really are. Until we being to awaken, we remain blind to the perfecta difficult time remembering who we really are. Until we being to awaken, we remain blind to the perfecta difficult time remembering who we really are. Until we being to awaken, we remain blind to the perfecta difficult time remembering who we really are. Until we being to awaken, we remain blind to the perfecta difficult time remembering who we really are. Until we being to awaken, we remain blind to the perfectprocess. Since you are reading this, odds are you’re awake and are becoming aware that the Higher Intelligneceprocess. Since you are reading this, odds are you’re awake and are becoming aware that the Higher Intelligneceprocess. Since you are reading this, odds are you’re awake and are becoming aware that the Higher Intelligneceprocess. Since you are reading this, odds are you’re awake and are becoming aware that the Higher Intelligneceprocess. Since you are reading this, odds are you’re awake and are becoming aware that the Higher Intelligneceis within and all around you, regardless of what you think you see.is within and all around you, regardless of what you think you see.is within and all around you, regardless of what you think you see.is within and all around you, regardless of what you think you see.is within and all around you, regardless of what you think you see.

from the collections of pullela murali mohan

Academy Journal 12

INDIA’S NATIONAL SECURITY & POLICERESPONSE : PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Dr S Kr i shnamurthy

INTRODUCTION

We are placed in a climactic era,

which is markedly enigmatic as well ascomplex. Further, the world is on thethreshold of a new millennium,experiencing a great on-goingrevolution in terms of the dramaticallyexploding ‘information age’, which isin tandem with the phenomenal stridesin various facets of physical sciencesand applied technologies. All thecreative potentials of man are beingcontinuously stimulated by the innatedemocratic and humane urges tostrongly influence the concept oforganized living. The world seems tobe shrinking due to various factors,including a slow emergence ofconsensus on so many mattersaffecting human life, coupled with

issues concerning survival andprogression of the nations and itsmembers inclusive of the flora andfauna.

WHAT IS SECURITY?

In that setting, the dynamic

dimensions of the concept of‘Security’, especially in the context ofa modern democracy, have to becomprehended. A traditional view of‘Security of a Nation’ is comparableto the dual faces of a coin - with theperennial pressures on the demandsof external security (particularly thefacet of its territorial integrity) on theone side and the burden of conflictresolution of seemingly never endinginternal conflicts of interests ofinnumerable kind on the other .

First prize winning essay in the Prime Minister’s Silver Cup Essay Competition - 2002

13 July - Dec 2002

Historical roots, as a rule, have agreat impact on all social institutions andthat fact should enable us to appreciatethe panorama of the past and weld thatbackground with the awareness of thepresent era so that we can build or improvethe systems to meet the confronts of thefuture.

Chronicles narrating the times goneby of this land are mute witnesses to thewell-established fact that till the middleof the 18th century, the Indian sub-continent was indeed an agglomerationof various emperors, kings and nativechiefs.

THE PAST

In fact, it was the post-1857

developments, heralded emphaticallyby the Proclamation of Queen Victoria,that set the pace for the future of India,as a nation, till the independence of Indiain that glorious year of 1947 and beyond.

The plain hypothesis of security,as comprehended allover the world, tillvery recently, believed that ‘well-being’of any nation was predominantly relatedto the external pressures and upheavalsaffecting the territorial facets of all suchpolitical formations. However, closelyfollowing that pre-requisite, the facet oflaw enforcement on all internal aspectsof the community too was in the picture.Such a concept was stark in its visage,in so far as India was concerned, till thedawn of the freedom of India. The alienmasters planned and pursued a designthat the interests of the empire were ofutmost concern and internal aspects ofsocietal conflicts within the nation wasa secondary obligation of their total roleof governance. However, it needs to beappreciated that the concerns of law andorder as well as crime fighting taskswithin the land were not ignored outright.

At the dawn of independence,various facets of ‘Security’ were surelyconsidered by the leading lights of the

nation, especially during the debates ofthe Constituent Assembly, which leadto the evolution of that great documentknow as the Constitution of India.Though there was a clear discernmentabout the demands on the nation’ssecurity, the primary focus was on rapiddevelopment of the country. It seemedthat the majority view of the opinionmakers and leading lights of that era wasthat, if the State progressed rapidly, then,the problems of poverty, health,education and crime, as well as otherconflicts that unsettle the life of the land,would slowly wane or at least remainunder control. As a result of thatseemingly genuine enterprise, the nationhad perforce consigned the core issuesof external as well as internal securitylow down in the charter of priorities, asagainst the total commitment to speedydevelopment. In a hindsight, it is nowonder that the combined might of theIndian Armed Forces and the nation werein for a rude shock consequent to theunexpected waves of the Chineseaggression that swamped the northernborders of the land in the year 1961. Thatbitter experience post haste forced thealteration in the ‘due emphasis’ that wasassigned to all features of externalsecurity, from then on, in the visions andplans of the Government of the day.Keeping the powder continuously dryand sustaining the optimal levels of themilitary potential to enable the nation tospeak of peace from a position ofstrength became a professed andpursued policy of the State.

Unfortunately, the concerns ofinternal security in contrast, till almostthe later half of the twentieth centurywere not really able to foresee thesurging and emerging threats to theinterests of the nation in terms ofterrorism, extremism, international crimes,organized crimes and so many otherdivisive and debilitating perils, besidesthe traditional problems of crime andpublic order that affected and imperiledthe peace and tranquility of the realm.Another reason for that lackadaisicalapproach was the fact that the nation or

forces of order had not experienced mostof such problems in a realistic way.However, after a series of majorupheavals in various northern statesand in the northeastern periphery of thecountry and following some tragicevents of early 80' s that shook thecountry violently, a slow realization cameabout in the minds of the politicalleadership that the issues of internalsecurity are not mere or simple ‘Crimeand Police’ domain. Conversely, itbecame increasingly clear that securitydemands cover a wider ambit in whichvarious aspects of societal life have tobe relentlessly accounted for. A slowchange of the national mindset was theobvious outcome and that transition wasevident in the steady growth anddevelopment of the police systems fromthose decisive moments as can be seenin the increasing and enlarging financialand other resource allocations for thepolice forces of the country. Thatwelcome change could be perceivedmore explicitly during the last decade ofthe twentieth century and further than.

THE PRESENT

In retrospect, we can recount the

legacy of the bygone days that haveshaped the current times for the IndianPolice and also identify some of theinherited shortcomings (as for examplethe colonial way of thinking affectingboth the police and the people at large,or many of its faulty structural designsor its basic philosophy to serve thepolitical masters irrespective of all otherissues and so on), that have hamstrungits systematic and healthy growth sincethe climactic origins seen in the year1861. Keeping in focus the mind-boggling fact that India with its everexpanding human population is virtuallyconverting every problem of the societyas a clash of the overpowering numbers,we can recall various Herculean effortsby many worthies who have tried tobring some sort of order and logic in theevolution of the system. The first twoPolice Commissions instituted by the

Academy Journal 14

colonial powers had, no doubt, left anindelible mark on the progress of thepolice systems in the British ruledprovinces and princely states of India.However, it was the third PoliceCommission, headed by Dharm Vira(1980), which has been an authentic sheetanchor in terms of intellectually enablingthe policemen at all levels to comprehendin real terms their own place in thereconstruction of the biggest democracyof the world. Perhaps it may be evenrelevant to cite the unqualifiedappreciation of Professor David Bayleyeulogizing the immense contribution thatthe Indian Police as a whole has beenmaking towards protection andsustenance of the democracy in India.

We have completed 50 years as anindependent republic. Though many ofthe dreams of the pioneers of the freedomera may have evaporated as merefantasies of hope, it must be said thattremendous changes have come aboutin our midst, beset with many positivetransitions, notwithstanding some veryunpleasant and negative developmentstoo! That mixed bag must surely help usin conditioning our mind.

Two prominent documents thatcan enable us to think on a professionalplatform are the Report of the III NationalPolice Commission and the Report of theCommittee on Police Training.Admittedly, both these great credentialsare in a sense outdated, as they areclearly over two decades old. Even inthat short span of time many newchanges have been relentlessly emergingand all such steep and vibrant variationsare continuously altering some of thebasic assumptions and presumptionsthat had woven the basic approaches ofboth the vital records. Problems liketerrorism, extremism, international crimesinvolving contraband, drugs, arms andeven the human trafficking, trans-national crimes of various kinds, crimesof the computer era, cyber crimes andso on have suddenly transformed theworld of the not-so-distant past as akindergarten in relation to the

burgeoning numbers as well asstaggering types of crimes of the currentdays. Not to forget, the traditional crimesof the folklore type have not yet left usand all such conventional crimes still bugthe urban as well as rural countryside.Another remarkable facet of modern Indiais the dramatic change in the economicpolicy of the country which was given acatalytic spur around the beginning ofthe decades of the nineties and that hasdramatically altered the crime and orderscenario in a very big way.

The Indian police of today are nodoubt in a state of flux in terms ofgrasping their own identity andcomprehending the relative significanceof their potential in the context of ayoung free country, that is India. Thoughthe debate about the police role and goalcharters have been engaging the expertssince long, it seems that for some time tocome, the agreement on the assignmentof crime prevention and detectionresponsibilities together with the task ofmaintenance of law and order are sure tocontinue. Similarly, the obligation ofmyriad social services and otherregulatory dimensions are also likely toremain with them.

But, when we look at the PoliceAct, we are sure to find to our chagrin,an incompatible fact that the hierarchicaldisplay of the jobs/tasks have got altereddramatically in the day-to-day policepractices. A mismatched as well asanachronous setting where the charterof ‘Order’ management seems to sidelineall other police activities in a verysignificant manner, at times distorting tosome extent the police image in the mindsof the people at large, should surely forceus to reckon the complexities of thechallenge.

This dichotomous situation is allthe more awkward when we find thatvarious types of crimes have beensteadily showing an upward trend vis-a-vis the falling standards in terms ofdetection and conviction. Prevention ofcrime seems to have become cursoryobsequies of the police stations with

limited or inadequate or grosslyinsufficient resolution or dedication tocontain and fight the menace. The netresult has been that these failures havebeen rather unnoticeably relegating thebasic utility value of the police to thestability and peace within the community.True that the police have to depend onthe people for very many crimepreventive and other order relatedactivities and yet due to the poor imagethat the police have acquired over thedecades (and seem to have failed inshrugging it off, though that particularconstraint seems to be clear to theleadership and even the Governments)the foundations for building a strongcommunity-police partnership is reducedto a mere theoretical exercise, venturedhalf -heartedly here and there. The publicperception about the police holds anunenviable view that the latter are neckdeep in security concerns dominantlyfocused on all physical and relatedaspects of protection of VIPs andgenerally worrying and working aboutthe law and order in the urban centers,especially the political capitals of variousstates. Naturally, all other aspects ofcrime (prevention and detectionincluded) and every other services aredependent of the time that is left aftertheir major worries narrated above.

Of course, at times they do seemto suddenly come alive and show someevidently a desultory activity wheneverthere is public furor over alarming rise incrimes or sudden chaos due to failure ofregulatory activities and thus, the policework is more of a ‘reactive’ genre andthe innovative and people oriented pro-active’ styles are yet to become theestablished practices of the policesystems in the country.

Responding to the palpablyincreasing public demand to usher in theneeded reforms in the police systems ofthe country, particularly after the reportof the III National Police Commission,several areas of the police administrationand some aspects of the Penal JusticeAdministration have been in focus for

15 July - Dec 2002

various reforms or improvements. But,the tragedy is the fact that most of suchchanges have remained a little more thancosmetic and a large number of them areon peripheral aspects of the problem. Anunsubstantiated but inherent fearentertained by the political and otherpower groups seem to hold an erroneousview that enabling the police to becomeaccountable to law alone and not to aparty to an elected office (as is theprevailing arrangement) would relegateits political clout to its own self-inflictednemesis. Admittedly, the apex court ofIndia has intervened in the matter, alongwith the National Human RightsCommission on specific aspects such asenacting a new Police Act, setting up ofState Security Commissions andseparating the investigative wings of thepolice from the law and order wings aswell as for considering a tenureappointment for the head of the statepolice forces. Somehow, the urgency onthese matters seems to recede, ratherinexplicably and thereby the most sourlyneeded improvements and reforms in thepolice systems appear to have become amirage in the deserts of nationalprocrastination.

THE FUTURE

Notwithstanding all the

constraints and impediments, some ofthe following steps are worthy ofconsideration:-

I. Infuse ‘True Professionalism’

a) The police must become reallyprofessional in their work. Buildingtruthful work styles and developing rightoccupational ethos is a first step.Accomplishing the professional goals ina correct, legitimate and lawful mannerand to mirror in real effect the ideals of‘rule of law’ should form the genuinefoundation in that quest. Theorganization has to sustaincomprehensive efforts to buildprofessional knowledge and skill baseon the entire range of police activities.

Unless relevant advances in appliedsciences and other fields are steadily andsystematically internalized into thesystem, there will be no qualitative aswell as quantitative improvements in thefunctioning of the police.

b) Police manpower has beensteadily mushrooming over the yearsand unfortunately that facet is clearlygetting enmeshed in the law ofdiminishing returns. As a result, thecommunity is slowly gettingdisillusioned to find its resources notbeing productively employed. Theleadership and the governments will haveto drastically alter their strategies inensuring a viable the cost-benefit ratioon the investment made by makingcertain that worthwhile productivitysurface from the entire system.Admittedly, many of the sovereignfunctions fulfilled by the police cannotbe really measured in terms ofproductivity or returns. Yet, it is possibleto validate that the cumulative work ofthe police weighs favorably in relationto the huge resource investment that thesociety is making.

c) The Police will have to treat their workas a true profession on a graded basis.At the basic level, an average policemen,i.e., the lawmen who becomes the firstcontact point between the people andthe organization will have to develop anddemonstrate a good/positive responsestyle coupled with helpful attitude, sothat he is able to size up quickly the needsof each case or situation and then referthe matter to experts for appropriate aswell as complete handling by a slightlyhigher level of professional experts.Registration of offences, investigationof cases, conflict resolution, petitionenquiry, myriad routine administrativechecks (for example various verificationsfor passports, employment and so on)as well as an assortment of secondarylevel regulatory functions and a litanyof other activities are the unceasingexamples to give glimpse of the range ofpolice work. The initial contact point

between ‘people’ and ‘police’ can becompared to the first response in ahospital where the preliminaryexamination helps in quickly assessingthe type of medical attention that wouldapply to that specific case - ranging froman outpatient attention or an extendedmedication or even an emergencyoperation to save the person! In otherwords, the police system must really haveboth the generalists and specialists wellbonded in a hierarchical system, whichpromptly and quickly attends to thepublic calls.

d. In pursuance of that effort, the policemust nourish and draw on high qualityexpert studies on all aspects of policework so that the seemingly innumerablepolice activities are simplified andstandardized. All routine police activitiesmust be rendered quick and receptive.Somehow, the police systems are stillcontinuing very many outdated andabsurd methods much to theunhappiness and even disgust of thepublic on the proverbial delays as wellas ineffectiveness to their cries for help.Examples are a legion. Failure to updatethe complainant of the status of his caseor conveying to him of so many vital dataor information that will help him in manyways are very common instances. Evenon the regulatory aspects of daily life,police communication on use of roads,changes in important aspects of publicinformation are some of the examples,which are crying for a total change in thework culture and practices.

II. Emphasize and ensure full play ofHuman Rights

There can be no doubt thatdignified policing is indeed an inevitablefacet that nurtures the correct and idealwork ethos for a democratic living. Theneed to improve the quality andeffectiveness of police work can be to agreat extent accomplished by good andsystematic supervision by the leaders bya methodical overseeing of the lawenforcement work of all hues done by

Academy Journal 16

the police station levels and upwards.The very establishment of the IndianPolice Service was intended to provide ahigh quality leadership to ensure that thepolice working is steadily andcontinuously monitored, controlled andcorrected. But, that type of expectationhinged on the presumption that all suchleaders including the middle and juniorlevel leaders are professionallyknowledgeable and also is inspired bythe right values in the entire gamut ofpolice work. This hope apparently hasnot been fulfilled or to put it more kindly,not really pursued adequately. As a widearray of police tasks and actions affectthe freedom and liberty of people,scrutiny and control of the police powersare a must. Though the courts are by lawexpected to fulfill that part of the exertion,the role of the leaders to continuouslyprovide the balancing and correctingmeasures cannot be understated.

a. Human Rights in police work isperhaps the most vital charter on thepolice system as a whole. Those nobleideals really convey that ‘means’ of allpolice work are as important as the ‘end’that is sought to be achieved by thepolice - individually as well as a team. Itexemplifies in other words that the policemust realize that they are meant to servethe people clearly in accordance with thelaw of the land. Conversely it crystallizesthe golden path that they (the police)are not reflecting the interests of thepolitical power alone or the people whoare politically or otherwise strong. Saiddifferently, the proposition merelyepitomizes that the police are indeed theagents of law.

b. It is proper to focus here on the issueof the stereotype of police behaviour.Undisputedly, a pervasive facet of poorquality of police conduct is the bane ofthe police of today. That grossshortcoming has to be corrected if thepolice aspire to win the public goodwill.Developing and building the right ‘policeattitudes’ would perhaps be the biggestwelcome change in the total effort toimprove the police. In that compelling

context, the key to develop the neededegalitarian police ethos can be found onlywhen the police moves collectively aswell as individually in terms of bringingabout a change in the integrated resultsof knowledge, skill and regimentation intheir work actions. Though changing thepolice attitudes may appear to be verydifficult on a spur of the moment or evenover a short period of time, it should bepossible for the leadership to enforceminimum standards in relation to theconduct patterns of the average rankand file.

c. In order to strengthen a long-termapproach on this elemental need, it maybe desirable to evolve a morecomprehensive recruitment policy. Thejob dimensions of the police are suchthat the tasks have to be accomplishedby persons having an ideal blend of headand heart. Somehow the currentinduction doctrines into the police ranksseem to reflect that the total range of thepolice jobs oscillates between menialtype of works and occasional semi-skilledactivities. As a result of this dichotomy,the productivity of an average constableis getting reduced systematically and thatperhaps is the single biggestshortcoming of the system. We have toclearly focus in getting better and morequalified persons into the system andslowly make them more and more capableby training and supervision.

III. Innovate to improve human and otherresources

a. It is seen that the armed category ofpersonnel account for around 30 to 35%of the total police strength of the statesand their functional utility is limited toorder management, barring rareexceptions. Further, out of the remainingforce, the lowest two rungs constitutenearly 93% of system. Indeed, they arethe cutting edge of the organization asthey provide the main as well as theprimary contact points with the laypublic. Unfortunately, however, the firstimpression in all such situations andcircumstances are generally lost for the

police for very obvious reasonsdiscussed above. More importantly, thework aspect also is suffering seriouslyas that basic level does very little originalwork. Further, even when done, all suchactions are warranting higher levelchecks and scrutiny. As a result, thefunctional utility of the vast majority isgreatly reduced and overall productivityof the system is suffering enormously.

b. Some years ago, the Home Ministryhad started an exercise to examine thefeasibility of making the civil police anOfficer Oriented Agency by a series ofsteps and measures (on Police Reformsat the instance of the then Union HomeMinister - during the month of April, 1997)and that idea seemed an innovativeapproach. But, all such efforts have tobe well thought out and verysystematically implemented. It is said thatdeadly problems require hard remediesand police systems which are virtuallygetting crippled by all sorts of crisiswould surely call for a drastic effort toput the system on the road to success.

IV. Use ‘Training’ as the main tool toimprove the most neededprofessionalism amongst the personnel

a. Key to elevate the policeprofessionalism is surely the ‘Training’,which somehow has become a stepchildin the entire organizational policy andplanning. As a large number of activitiesare really skilled type of works, the needto make the police ranks more competentis the only way out. If, on the one hand,the combined status and expectationsfrom the courts, media and the people inall walks of life, regarding the police areat a very high level, the organizationalcommitment and the response of thepowers that - be to elevate the averagepoliceman to that plane is conspicuousby its dearth. That hiatus is too glaring!Some of the brilliant examples of manyadvanced and really successful policesystems in Japan or in some of thecountries in Europe and in some specificpockets of the United States of America

17 July - Dec 2002

disclose that a better qualified policeofficer would grasp a really well-evolvedprofessional training to become a betterand more effective policeman. Further, itis seen that there is tremendous supportin those lands for all ranks to improvetheir own knowledge and skill-base on acontinuous basis by several supportivearrangements. A sad commentary on thestatus of prevailing police trainingapproaches in the country was evidentin an official survey made during thepreparation of the Gore Report. Strangeas it may seem, most of the State PoliceSystems have not even evolved a reallyviable ‘Training Policy’ that can enabletheir ranks to cope with the increasingchallenges that are relentlesslyconfronting them. On the contrary, manyof them (leadership particularly at themiddle and cutting edge level) are noteven aware of the emerging threats tovarious aspects of police work that issure to engulf and swamp them sooneror later.

b. In that specific framework, it may beuseful to evolve a strategy tocontinuously integrate the training planswith the field realities. A successor tothe Gore Committee should be aPermanent Standing Committee that canhelp the States (and the Union Territoriesas well as Center) to avail the intenseresearch and planning that must becatalyzed at the level of institutions likethe BPR&D and ICFS or the NPA, etc.

d. As stated earlier, the main focus ofthe police is virtually clinging to the‘Order Orientation’ and that has resultedin loss of focus on real police tasks ofcrime fighting. As a result, the inevitableimbalance has led to distortions inpolicing styles and police ethos. As thepolitical executive is virtually dominatingthe police functions by its behind thescene influence, the police systems areslowly becoming an extended armed unitof the political party in power and thewearing of uniform to represent the lawof the land seems to be slowly gettingdiffused. The public perception alsothrows immense doubt about the

impartiality and integrity of the police inthis regard. As a corollary, securitydemands and VIP protection and the likesare becoming more and more explicit andthe real protection that the police cangive by an unobtrusive umbrella ismisplaced.

V. Build a strong Community - PolicePartnership - the only insurance forthe future of the police in a democracy

Involving the community is thekey to police success and this aspecthas been not fully utilized by theleadership both at the executive and atthe political levels. Ensuring a systematicpublic education and eliciting theirsupport is a non-stop effort, which theconcerned have to plan and pursue.There are several dimensions to thiselemental facet of getting the people’ssupport. Alas! there is really no steadypolicy in most of the States as indicatedby the obtrusive fact that there is no lawor strategy, which invokes the measuresthat are concomitant with various stylesof community policing. Though thePolice Act and many administrativeguidebooks speak of public support, therequired legal base and a formalprescription of methods of practice toelicit that underlying buttress is glaringby its deficiency.

VI. Seek media help with a sound Police- Media policy for an egalitarian way oflife

The need for developing andsustaining a sound Media Policy toadvance police effectiveness and alsoensure the community goodwill warrantsno emphasis. A strategy, which generatescontinuous awareness levels of thepeople on all essential facets of lawenforcement, is vital for the growth andnourishment of democracy. Anenlightened and civic-minded society isthe best insurance for an egalitarianmilieu. Such an environment wouldsurely call for a vigilant media and toadvance that cause, a Media-Police

relationship built on the concept of a‘healthy and constructive tension’would help the police to effectivelyensure an internal vigil. As a corollarythe system would also stand scrutiny ofa continuous social audit, which isindeed the lifeline for a Jeffersonian wayof life.

VII. Reforms in other wings of theCriminal Justice System

The political, administrative, socialand professional leaders would do wellto seek improvements in all facets of theCriminal Justice System so that thebenefits of improvements in the penalprocesses would be meaningful enoughto fight the slowly pervading cynicismabout the real value of the democraticway of life and the concept of rule of law.There is a justifiable apprehension thatthe people’s confidence in the system iswaning rapidly. Unless such pessimisticand helpless notions are not reversed,all our efforts to realize the eminentlydesirable goals and ideals of ourConstitution will be shattered.

To sum up, the prescience ofNational Security in all its internaldimensions could be answeredcompetently only when they (the police)become responsible, responsive andeffective in a democratic ambience. Ifthey are able to accomplish that at leastto a great extent, then they can hope tostay relevant. In that quest, a catalyticspur of life can be given to the IndianPolice by systematically addressing suo-moto some of the vital issues. That innateurge and a burning desire to fulfill thatmust become apparent from within. Yet,they really need not wait for others likethe political executive, courts or themedia to take the initiative, as theleadership coupled with a motivatedensemble of the rank and file, can reallycome up with practical working plans todo all that the organization can pro-actively venture towards thoseeminently desirable goals.

* * *

Academy Journal 18

TRAINING IN CYBER CRIME :KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CELL

D r S C A g a r w a l

Cyber Crimes have become a

reality in India too. Indian Airlines wasdefrauded by several lakhs of rupees withthe tampering of its computerized bookingrecords. In the arms drop case of Purulia,the main players used Internet for theircommunications, planning and logistics.Computer hackers have also got into theBhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC)computer and pulled out important data.Some computer professionals whoprepared the software for MBBSexamination altered the data and gave anupward revision to some students inreturn for a hefty payment.

A sample of few other cases beinginvestigated in India include the following:A loss of Rs 1.39 crores to a nationalisedbank where the computer records weremanipulated to create false debits andcredits; a loss of Rs 2.5 lakhs due to

computerised creation of false bankaccounts in another nationalised bank. Inanother case, an MTNL officialmanipulated computer terminals byreversing the electronic telephone metersystems, thereby allowing somecompanies to make overseas calls withoutcharges.

Technology empowers. And doesso universally. The benefits of suchempowerment reaches criminals too.Cyberia (or) Cyberspace can be definedas a system made up of millions of peoplewho communicate with one anotherthrough computers. It is just not thepeople who make up the Cyberspace butit includes the information stored onmillions of Computers world wideaccessible to others through telephonelines and other communicationchannels.

19 July - Dec 2002

The Cyberspace or the Internet isa complexity in itself and the mostidentifiable part is the World Wide Web(WWW). This consists of web pageswhich can be used with a web browser.E-mail is another component which is auser-friendly communication device.Internet Relay Chatroom (IRC) isanother component, which allows realtime chatting between/among thousandsof people. The Internet also comprisesthe Gophel which is similar to theWWW, but it is more for academicpurposes. The File Transfer Protocol(FTP) allows the transfer of files fromone computer to another. According tothe available statistics, the number ofPersonal Computers (PCs) perthousand persons in India is about 2.8.In the year 2002, it is estimated to beabout 10 per thousand.

MAGNITUDE OF CYBER CRIMES

Alexander (1995) conducted a

survey among businessmen and foundthat 93.6% of the respondents werevictims of Computer Crimes and 43%claimed to be victims at least 25 times.According to Stephen (1995),widespread availability of user friendlycomputers had assisted the criminals tolearn computers and use them forcriminal purposes, which resulted in aloss of billions of dollars. A studyconducted by Flohr (1995) found that intwo months about 300 million dollarshad disappeared, electronically, from thevarious banks of the United States. Thisstudy concludes that the bank robbersare trading their guns for computers.Studies have not only found that thereis an enormous loss due to CyberCrimes, but there is an increase inInternet Crimes. According to a surveyof 1,000 companies, conducted byFortune, theft of Intellectual PropertyRights (IPR), which is one of the areasof operations for the Cyberspaceburglars, is on a steep increase. There isa loss of an estimated 300 million dollars,annually, due to theft of IPR, on theInternet.

Table given below gives details ofthe various types of crimes concerningcomputers and Internet, that occuredglobally, in 1998.

TABLE

Type Percentage

Virus Contamination 27.0

Notebook Theft 24.0

Insider Abuse of Net Access 12.8

Telecom Fraud 6.9

Unauthorised Access by insider 6.7

Theft of Proprietary 5.8Information

Financial Fraud 5.3

Sabotage 4.5

System Penetration by outsider 3.5

Spoofing 1.0

Active Wire Tapping 1.4

Telecom Eaves-dropping 1.15

CRACKING

Among themselves, world-class

hackers and crackers, were able to

• use the Internet for the purposeof financial frauds (banks,insurance companies, etc.)

• decrypt encrypted messagesand use for fraudulentpurposes

• steal and sell Cell Phonenumbers

• sabotage data and computernetworks of important defenceorganisations, acting on behalfof foreign intelligenceoperators

Such Cyber attacks are verycommon and increasing. Crackers alsohave their own Web Sites where theyexchange programmes and information,for money. Security experts of US havefound that about 20 nations have alreadypenetrated US Information Systems.

Since India has the best softwareprofessionals, computer experts feelthat, India may also have the besthackers. In due course of time it isprobable that frustrated programmerswho realise that they cannot earn goodmoney in writing programmes will slowlyshift into hacking.

COMPUTER GAMES & VIOLENCE

The present day powerful

computers and the Internet have onceand for all changed the way in whichComputer Games are played. There arethousands of games - related sites in theWorld Wide Web. Multi-nationalsoftware companies have also hostedspecial game sites for people interestedin this area. In the name of high-techgames the players are exposed to extremeviolence and sex. There are manypornographic games on the net and theyhave many players from throughout theworld. There are theoretical argumentsthat people who do not feel successfulin the real world use these games in thecyber world for a new degree ofrecognition, power and a super humanidentity. They are exposed tounmeasurable quantum of avoidableemotions like fear, death and nightmares,thereby changing their personality andoutlook of life.

Cyber pornography with increasedgraphic capability and animation,Pornographic Computer Games andInteractive Pornographic Movies arecommon in the net. The proliferation ofpornography in the Internet is so widethat typing words like ‘porn’ or ‘sex’ in aparticular search engine, brings about57 lakhs options for the person tochoose for viewing.

DEVELOPING TOOL - BASED ANDPROCEDURE - SPECIFIC SECURITY

Professionals in the IT industrysuggest various methods to deal withsecurity threats to the Computer andthese methods are:

Academy Journal 20

• Firewalls: Programmes whichenforce security restrictionsand restrict inappropriateaccess.

• Authentication: Authenticationis the verification of a user’sclaimed identity, when logginginto a system by passwords,personal challenge, responsecalculations, etc.

• Biometrics: Biometrictechniques involve verificationof an individual based onPhysical Biometrics (face, eyeor retina scans, finger print,thermal images, etc) andBehavioural Biometrics (voiceprints, hand written signatures,etc).

• Authorisation : This includes aprocess of determining how anauthenticated user is permittedto use specific resources bygranting or denying access toread, modify or create datarecords and by controlling thecreation or deletion of data.

• Administration: It is the processof defining, maintaining anddeleting users and resourcematerial or the authorisedprivilege relationship betweenthe user and the material.

MODIFICATION OF EXISTINGHARDWARE FOR SECURITY

One of the best methods to

ensure the identity of the web user is byappropriately modifying the existinghardware, including the chip and themother board. Chip manufacturers wouldsoon incorporate four-level securityfeatures on their chips which areimportant from the security perspective.

• A unique processoridentification number

• A randomly generated numberfor encryption

• A special Internet securityprotocol

• A feature which will ensureintegrity when booting orstarting a computer

With these security measures inthe computer, a user will be in a positionto do business securely on the Internet.But the ‘Privacy Lobby’ in the US hasalready reacted to this and they have saidthat they will boycott these chips,unless, these features are removed fromthe hardware.

COMPUTER CRIMES :CRIMES IN CYBERSPACE

Computer use has grown

dramatically in the past decade and sohas the opportunity for computers to belinked to crime. Magnetic media arerapidly replacing ink on paper as the mostcommon form of readable information. Ofcourse, with this expanding technology,comes an ever-increasing opportunityfor illegal activity.The more significanttypes of computer crimes include :

• stealing tangible/intangibleassets

• destroying or altering data

• embezzling funds

• destroying or altering software

• defrauding consumers,investors or users

• stealing computer software.

• p r o d u c i n g / d i s t r i b u t i n gpornography online

THE INTERNET AND ITS USE

The Police Chief of a well known

law enforcement agency in US claimsthat two years from now- if you wereSheriff/Chief, Commander, Administrator,or support staff in law enforcementagency, and come to work without theInternet, it will be like a patrolman comingto work without his patrol car. TheInternet will be that critical inaccomplishing our mission by virtue ofit being more efficient and its timelyaccess to information.

In USA, for years now, computercrime specialists have used the Internetto exchange techniques and technicalinformation. Forensic lab experts areplumbing Internet’s depths to exchangedata with their counterparts. Lately, theInternet has become the intellectualstomping grounds of crime preventionspecialists, and a whole lot of specialistsand services useful to law enforcement.

The Western law enforcementagencies are using the Internet in thefollowing ways :

• Exchanging information on policeprocedures and technical matters-firearms, uniforms, vehicles,neighbourhood watchprogrammes, investigativetechniques, administrativeprocedures, electronicfingerprints, etc. If information isclassified, it can be sent encrypted

• Exchanging information with thepublic - getting the public opinionas to how we could serve thembetter

• Sharing criminals and safetyinformation with the public -missing person reports, crimealerts (frauds, robbers, rapists),requests to public to help solvecrimes

• Communicating with the expertswho are knowledgeable in asubject you need help with

• Keeping in touch with officers metat conferences, training coursesand investigations

• Exchanging intelligence across thejurisdictional lines

Use of computers in India is astudy in contrast. We can introspect andrealise that all the Personal Computerskept at the tables of the officers are mainlybeing used as sophisticated typewriters.Police officers should know aboutPOLICE-L and COPENET and FileTransfer Protocol (FTP), and “Gopher”their way to zillions of categories ofinformation on any subject.

.

21 July - Dec 2002

Need for GeneralNeed for GeneralNeed for GeneralNeed for GeneralNeed for GeneralAwareness and TrainingAwareness and TrainingAwareness and TrainingAwareness and TrainingAwareness and Training

CYBER - SENSITIVE POLICE

The focal point of any crime

investigation, including Cyber Crime,rests with the law enforcers. The strategyto combat these crimes lies in creating aCyber Police Force for which adequateempowerment in terms of training,infrastructure, motivation and otherlogistics is required. A beginning shouldbe made in Police Training Colleges,throughout India, where ComputerTraining should be included as a part ofthe curriculum. This Computer Trainingshould, apart from teaching Data Entryand Computerising of Police Records,should also teach investigation of crimesin the Cyberspace.

AWARENESS EDUCATION

Financial institutions are given

into the threat of sophisticated “CyberTerrorists” who penetrate theirComputer Systems and leave messagesthreatening to destroy them unless theyreceive huge sums of money. Banksaround the world have been victimisedby paying millions of dollars as extortionmoney to keep their system intact.Hackers can sneak into database thathouse everything from criminal historiesand medical records to confidentialinformation in private companies, andeither sell it to the highest bidder orchange it to suit their purposes. Severalstudies suggest that the faster-growingcomputer crime is theft of information,such as product plans, research,marketing plans or prospective customerlists.

The Internet is a totally new andunique form of communication and is offull anonymity. There are no signatureor photo IDs on the Internet Therefore,it is very difficult to identify the Cyber -Criminals. Hence, it is always better to

create an awareness and educatespecific target groups like parents,teachers and Internet users on the darkerside of the Internet so that it is easy tomonitor the users.

We are witnessing exponentialsocial, demographic, and technologicalchanges and new criminal types areemerging. The modern day technologicalcriminals and hackers steal Cell Phoneidentifiers with cheap scanners, sniffe-mail on the Internet, and stalk peoplein Cyberspace. Computer Crime,consumer fraud, and white-collar crimeare going to become reality. Cyber-Terrorist will run amuck attacking theintegrity of computers that control ourfinancial destiny.

Our police officers spend a largepercentage of their time doingpaperwork. In fact, they feel that theinordinate amount of time spent onwriting arrest reports, seizurepanchnamas and writing case diaryleaves little time to accomplish any“real” police work.

In Western countries, laptopcomputers and notebook, coupled withthe availability of various softwarepackages are changing dramatically theway the police officers use their time andobtain information. Using forms - basedsoftware, their laptops are simplifyingpaperwork by printing reports on pre-printed forms. Using cellulartechnology, which allows e-mail and filetransfer capabilities, these officers aresending their reports electronically tothe head quarters. Thus these laptopsare also acting as time saving devicesfor the administrative personnel, who nolonger have to type information intotheir processing systems from writtenreports.

These officers in the field are alsousing laptop computers to access theinformation they need to complete theirpaperwork. For example, criminal codesand other legal data are available on

electronic diskettes, which include asearch and retrieve software. Officerscan retrieve any statute contained in thedatabase simply by typing in a key word,such as “assault” , “firearms” or “rape”.These laptop computers are also beingused to access the wide range ofinformation available from online lawenforcement libraries on the Internet. Inaddition, specific Law EnforcementNews Groups sponsor electronicconferences where individuals canparticipate in written discussions fromtheir computers.

There are those who predict thatcomputer crime and crime perpetratedacross the Internet will be lawenforcement’s biggest problem in thefuture. And they say that this future isnot far off. Indeed, a look at the statisticson home computers and Internet userssuggests that the potential for criminalbehaviour is staggering. According tothe World Futurist Society, theft bycomputer will outstrip drugs as thebiggest problem in the USA within next4 years.

NEED FOR A KNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT CELL

The exponentially increasing

number of PC and Internet users,coupled with an army of computer literateunemployed/underemployed youthwould inevitably give rise to computercrime in a couple of years in our owncities. Police Station in our countryshould be equipped sufficiently toproperly investigate such cases. Weshould propose laws on Cyber Terrorismand Cyber Pornography to be passed bythe legislature.

While the biggest source ofknowledge for this agency would be theknowledge residing in the minds ofemployees of the organisationaldatabase (including all the reports,documents, registers, etc.), the agencywould have other sources of informationas well, like primary data collection from

Academy Journal 22

the field and secondary data collectionfrom the books/magazines, libraries,publications, training reports and theInternet.

The knowledge would range fromthat required for policy making (e.g.,suggesting a new Cyber Code forprevention and investigation ofComputer Crimes) to simple operationalmatters of day-to-day importance (e.g.,how to hold effective meetings inCommunity Policing programmes).

The agency mostly would workproactively. It would also cater to specificissues referred to it.

This agency would neither be apolicy formulating and performanceevaluatory body, nor would it be animplementing body. It would only be aknowledge support system for both ofthe above named functions.

NEED FOR A COMPUTERINVESTIGATION SUPPORT GROUPIN STATE POLICE (HQ) AND INMETROPOLITAN AND OTHER BIGDISTRICTS

A Police Officer conducting acomputer search in pursuance ofinvestigation of cyber crime should havehigh-level technical skills for success. Awell-meaning investigator with amateurskills could inadvertently, butirretrievably, damage the data. When indoubt, rely only on experts. It may be auseful advice to associate and get thecooperation of the computer experts fromthe victim organisation or targetcomputer system group even if theybelong to the suspects or accusedbecause they will be more conversantwith the systems they use than even theexperts. Such cooperation could alsosave valuable time of the experts.

The growing number of cases inCBI and Sate Police, where computersranging from digital diaries andnotebooks to computer networks areencountered, would perhaps underline

the need for setting up in the CentralBureau of Investigation (CBI) and inState Police HQRS and CID andDetective Department, a COMPUTERINVESTIGATION SUPPORT GROUP,consisting of police officers who aretrained and experienced in computerhardware, software technology,electronics and telecommunications.Such a unit could also be a ComputerCrime or Technological CrimeInvestigation Unit, on the lines of similarunits existing elsewhere in the world,such as in the RCMP, Canada or the FBI,USA. The Group should be equippedwith the required Computer Forensicanalysis tools including hardware andsoftware. While CBI has already made abeginning, the State Police are yet togear up their resources on this issue. Itmay be surprising that ComputerForensics, which is a growing andspecialised area in Forensic Science andTechnology, the world over, is yet tocatch the attention of Forensic expertsin India.

TRAINING

There are not enough law

enforcement officers who are trained tocombat computer crime. There is also theproblem of acute shortage ofComponent Investigating Officers andalmost no prosecutors are capableenough in prosecuting computercriminals. So what are law enforcementagencies supposed to do? A former FBIComputer specialist suggests: “Youeither have to take a cop and make him acomputer expert or take a computerspecialist and make him a cop”.

And I fully agree with this viewand we must start harnessing ouravailable talents in this regard.

In 1992 the FBI established itsNational Computer Crime Squad atWashington. This Squad reports toFinancial Crimes Section at FBIHeadquarters. The FBI sharesjurisdiction over computer Crime

investigations with Electronic CrimeBranch of the Secret Service. Besides,there is the hi-tech crime networkcomprising of computer expert policeofficers who are trained to solvecomputer crimes.

Following is the proposed 3-4week training syllabus for Investigationof Cyber Crime for Officers andMembers of the Computer Industry andBanking/ Financial Institutions

[1] Interaction with theParticipants.

[2] Overview of the coursementioning the objective itseeks to achieve.

[3] Difference between CyberCrime and ConventionalCrime.

[4] Overview of ComputersHardware and Peripherals,CPU, HDD, Mother Board,Printers, CD Writers,scanners, Hub & Routers,Modems, Ethernal Cables.

[5] Operating Systems and itsSecurity. Understanding andchanging BIOS and CMOSset-up. DOS, UNIX, LINUX,Netware, Novell, Windows.

[6] Booting Process. BasicSystem Commands, Opening,Saving & Closing a Text files,Data Storage, formatting ofStorage Media.

[7] Understand and use ofNorton Software. NTI FileList , File cnvt, Gettime,Disksig, Various FAT FileSystems. File Attribute, FileStorage. Compression ofFiles. Hiding Data, DataRetrieval. Use of Software toRetrieve Data. Creation anddeletion of Directories & FilesAttribute. Recovering DeletedFiles.

23 July - Dec 2002

[8] History of Internet. HowInternet works and variousfacilities provided by Internet

[9] Overview of ISP & OSP. Typesof Internet Accounts andservice provided by the ISP &OSP.

[10] World Wide Web, DomainName, URL & IP address.

[11] E-mail, various Protocols usedfor e-mails. E-mail Account

[12] Bulletin Board Service.

[13] Functions of News Group andChatrooms and server.

[14] Protecting Data. Use ofPasswords. Encryption, DigitalSignature, Private Keys andPublic Keys, CrackingPassword.

[15] Networking Getways, Bridges,Network Security , Firewalls,Proxy Servers, De-MilitirizedZones.

[16] TCP/IP Basics and RoutingProtocols. IP Sniffing andSpoofing and Proofing. MacAddress. Packet Spoofing.Network Utilities. Telnet, Ping,Net Stat, Whois, Ports.

[17] Recording Directories andFolders. Temporary Folders.Temporary Internet Files.Cache Bookmarks, History,Cookies, etc.

[18] Visit to ISP, Working of ISP.Interacting with the staff of theISP and practical session.

[19] E-mail Crime. Detecting originof e-mail from its headers andmessages IDs. Anonymisers.Anonymous Mailers. Forgede-mail Addresses.

[20] Investigation of e-mail Crime.Hacking, Cyber Attacks,Tracking. Denial of service.

[21] Trojan Horse, Intrusion,Detection, Port Numbers used21,23……. 65, 000 and Countermeasures.

[22] Misuse of Internet Hidingidentity. Copyright Violation.Gambling, Fraud, MoneyLaundering, Espionage.Alteration of Data.

[23] Case studies on various crimefacilitated by Internet Handson experience to detectHacking, Breaking Passwords.

[24] General principles to befollowed for investigation. Riskawareness. Knowledge ofrelevant Laws. Line of action.Speed of reaction.

[25] Co-operation of ISP’s,Telecom. International Policeand Judicial Co-operation.

[26] Securing Digital Evidence.Registration of FIRs and its

ingredients. Interception andtracing. Preparing for searches.Precautions to be taken whileconducting searches. Recoveryand sealing of seized material.Seized Memo. Preservance ofsoft evidence.

[27] E-Banking. Inter BankingSystem. Electronics Payments.Card Technology. E-cash, CreditCards, Debit Cards, SmartCards.

[28] IT ACT, 2000 and rules framedthere under, IPC and other Lawsrelated to Cyber Crime.Arbitrators. Powers of Courts,etc.

[29] Computer Forensics. ComputerForensic Expert’s Report.

[30] Hardware, Software forInvestigation and ForensicAanalysis.

[31] Information Warfare. CyberWar, Netwar, Activism,Hactivism and Cyber Terrorism.

[32] Different kinds of informationWarfare. Counter measures andreferences.

* * *

Passion,Passion,Passion,Passion,Passion, not pedigree, not pedigree, not pedigree, not pedigree, not pedigree,

will win in the endwill win in the endwill win in the endwill win in the endwill win in the end

Academy Journal 24

WOMEN LEADERS IN POLICE :INTERNATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENTISSUES

J i j a M a d h a v a n H S i n g h

Any major issue today

demonstrates how inter-linked we allare, no matter where we live on PlanetEarth. Globalization and thetechnological revolution have shrunkthe world to a virtual village.Communication, transportation, trade,money flows and ideologies haverendered national frontiers increasinglyirrelevant.

Releasing the International CrimeThreat Assessment in December 2000,the President of the United Statesaccurately warned of the growing globalreach and sophistication of OrganizedCrime groups, and its links withinsurgent and extremist groups. He said,“International crime is a direct andimmediate threat to the United States.”September, 11 sadly proved howprophetic this insight was.

That assessment implied the roleof organized crime in corruptinggovernment machinery and forging apolitical-criminal nexus that is a threatnot just to the US and developednations, but even societies in thedeveloping world. No country canremain immune to what is happening inany other part of the world.

At the operational level, more andmore often does an investigator from(say) Orange County, Florida or NewYork City, Toronto, London, Sydney orNew Delhi have to reach beyond notjust county and state, but even nationalfrontiers to link up investigative leads,examine witnesses, track money flowsand apprehend fugitives.

Title of the paper presentedat ‘Federal Law Enforcement and the

25 July - Dec 2002

International Community’ at Womenin Federal Law Enforcement(WIFLE 2002) Third Annual TrainingConference at Grand Hyatt Hotel,Washington, DC from August 12-16,2002.

More than any other country, theUnited States has global linkages thatreach to every corner, because of itstransnational economic linkages and theflow of immigrants from all over theworld. The richest and the most openeconomy in history is also a naturaltarget for criminals including offensiveIslamic fundamentalists. Trafficking inhumans is another crime that is impactingthe US, Australia, Europe and nowsurfacing in India. It recalls the slavetrade, except that in some instancestoday’s human cargo pay huge sums tointernational gangs that offer anopportunity to escape the poverty orrepression of their home countries toreach some fantasy ‘promised land’ offreedom and abundance.

This complex environment raisesmany issues: What are the current modelsof global law-enforcement? How can anymodel work, when there is still nouniversally accepted code forinternational crime? What about nationalsovereignty? What has been theexperience of law-enforcement fromdifferent cultures working together?These are questions that law-enforcement thinkers have beengrappling with, ever since technologybrought about a revolution ininternational travel and communicationsover a century ago. Far-sighted policeleaders in continents ranging from SouthAmerica to Europe had convened severalinternational conferences at the turn ofthe 19th century to discuss the challengeof international crime. Several modelshave been developed to respond to theneeds of existing international law-enforcement.

Interpol is the formal forum forexchange of information and for law-enforcement agencies from almost all

countries to meet. InternationalAssociation of Chiefs of Police (IACP)is the largest individual network of law-enforcement officers worldwide. The UNhas a permanent Commission on Crime,though CIVPOL is now its better-knowninvolvement in international policing andits agencies are increasingly involved insupporting social services projects(including law enforcement) in manycountries, to achieve acceptable quality-of-life standards. Global institutions likethe US-based World Bank have found aneed for an international law-enforcement perspective, since fraud iscommon in the diverse cultures that itoperates in.

The challenge that faces us is howto ‘think global and act local.’ In thiscontext, the subject of today’s sessionis very significant and exciting. That thissession is discussing such a universaltheme lifts the Conference itself toanother plane. It shows that todayWomen in Police have matured andattained the stature and poise to stepout of the usual discussions of genderissues in the work place, to issues oflarger professional concern. What isexciting is also that it is establishing thefact that there is a Woman’s Perspectiveon critical issues and this PERSPECTIVEdemands attention.

In my presentation, I attempt tolook at four major facets of the topic. Ittouches briefly on the obvious issues ofCrime and Law and Order and goes onto the main contributory factor, theLeadership Crisis. Focusing on the otherhalf of the topic is the geometry ofGender and Law Enforcement from anIndian perspective and lastly butperhaps the more significant part of thepresentation, the potential Role Womenin Leadership positions in Police canplay.

Talking of international lawenforcement issues, I am reminded ofhow Mr Nye, Dean of Kennedy Schoolof Government, Harvard, succinctly putsthe current scenario in his recent letterto the Alumni. I quote: “The

contemporary information revolution andits attendant brand of globalization aretransforming and shrinking the worldon the chessboard... in the transnationalrelations includes actors as diverse asbankers electronically transferring hugesums at the more benign end of thespectrum, and terrorists transferringweapons or hackers disrupting Internetoperations at the other. September 11illustrated these deeper changes.Technology has been diffusing poweraway from governments, andempowering individuals and groups toplay roles in world politics - includingwreaking massive destruction - that wereonce reserved to governments.Privatization has been increasing, andterrorism is the privatization of war.Moreover, the process of globalizationare shrinking distance, and events inpoor weak countries half way round theworld - like Afghanistan - are able to haveenormous impacts on American lives.The world has changed from the ColdWar to the Global Information Age, butour dominant paradigms have not keptpace.”

In a nutshell, he says that it is notthat such crimes were non-existent butour awareness of them as well as of theaffairs of countries in the developingworld like Afghanistan, and thedestructive potential of criminals werebrought into sharp focus for Americansby the events of September, 11.

CRIMES

What is the main international

law enforcement issue with respect tothe Indian crimescape? Terrorism wouldtop the list claiming over 40000 lives inthe past decade. We have what weperceive as trans-border sponsoredterrorism in Kashmir and spilling out tothe rest of India. “September 11” in theUS was followed for us by a “December13”, when there was an attack on theIndian Parliament by a similar extremistgroup. There have been bomb blasts andshootouts in the vicinity of US embassy

Academy Journal 26

in Calcutta. I am not going to talk aboutthis in detail as this Conference had afull session devoted to the topic, exceptto point out that the dimensions of sucha problem increase manifold when theterrorists have a state sponsoring theiractivities under the guise of being‘freedom fighters’ and giving the wholething a religious overtone as in Kashmir.

Then, we have the LTTE‘Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam’ andaffiliates striking terror in Tamil Nadu inthe south of India. An LTTE humanbomb blew her up killing Rajiv Gandhi,our charismatic former Prime Minister.

There is another ribbon like spreadof Maoist/Naxalite terrorism from theNepal-China border in the mid-north ofIndia running down to the southern tipnear the state of Kerala. In thenortheastern states, which wing out onthe map, east of Bangladesh, there areinsurgency and separatist movements byfour different groups.

Several of our neighbours arehelping to keep the terrorist pot boilingand there is always the threat of bio-terrorism and nuclear blackmail. Indeedit takes up a lot of our energy andresources to ensure adequate securityfor the citizens and for law enforcement.

When we come to the nextcategory, the Organized Crimes, the mainones we constantly battling against are:

• Drug trafficking• Illegal manufacture and

smuggling of arms• Money laundering• Automobile thefts and

smuggling out into mainlyNepal

• Trafficking in women andchildren into and out of India

• Crimes against women andchildren

• Mafia activities

India’s geographical location isbetween the Golden Crescent

(Afghanistan, Iraq & Pakistan) and theGolden Triangle (Laos, Myanmar &Thailand), the two major opium producingregions. In 1999, Afghanistan accountedfor 75% of world’s opium productionand Myanmar 20%. It is difficult toestimate the quantity or value of the un-detected drugs, which have beensmuggled into the country, which is muchmore than that has been seized. Theseizure figure as per the Annual Reportof the Narcotic Crimes Bureau for 2000-2001 was 12460.

Trafficking in arms hit internationalheadlines when a consignment of 300Kalashnikov rifles, 25 pistols, 25000 loadsof ammunition, 10 rocket launchers andother items were air dropped in Puruliain West Bengal from a plane which wastransiting through Indian airspace fromPakistan. British and Latvian citizenswere arrested. Illegal manufacture andsmuggling is a prevalent crime within thecountry. Money laundering or what iscalled ‘Hawala’, the illegal internationaltransfer of money is a major issue. It isrelated to all other organized crimes.Automobile thefts have gone up manifoldin recent times as in the east Europeancountries, with increased smugglingthrough Nepal.

Trafficking in women and childrenfrom poorer regions to the metropolisesfor various illegal practices have beenprevalent. But , recently many cases havecome up where children were foundsmuggled out of the country not onlyfor illegal adoption in the west but alsofor such cruel pastimes like camel racesin the Gulf countries. Instances of racketsof trafficking in women from Bangladesh,Maldives and Nepal have also beenreported.

Crimes against women andchildren are mostly localized crimes, andgenerally suppressed in a conspiracy ofsilence, except that instances are comingup where foreign nationals visiting Indiaorganizing illegal activities. There wasthis sensational case which surfaced in

Goa of procuring children for makingporn films for paedophiles.

Mafia activities have long beenrecorded in India in the coal mining beltsof Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.Mafia has been surfacing in Mumbai invarious blackmails, kidnapping andmurders. The Mafia dons now organizeoffences in India from their safe havensin the neighbouring countries. Their actsof terrorism and intimidation have beenreported even in the international media,the most prominent being the serial bombblasts in Mumbai on 12th March, 1993,killing 257 and injuring 713.

These crimes do not need anyfurther elaboration to the experts in thefield of law enforcement. The statisticsof these crimes appear frightening, butthey are kept in check by a law and ordermachinery of about two million strength.Women in the senior levels do get achance to work in these areas, thoughthey are generally discouraged. Howeverin strife-torn Kashmir, women at all levelshave started taking part in operationsagainst terrorists.

LEADERSHIP CRISIS

In discussing international law

enforcement issues it is not enough tojust identify them without a glimpse intothe causes. Perhaps the buck stops atthe issue of a Leadership Crisispervading in many parts of the world.Woman, if adequately sensitized to theissues, with her down to earth wisdomand agility of mind can address thegeneral decay around. Instead of sidestepping it or blindly following the maleperception of her understanding ofworld matters, can she play aconstructive role?

The profound changes ofglobalization that I have spoken aboutearlier have thrown-up an entirely newset of challenges. These require thinkingthrough from the ground up rather than

27 July - Dec 2002

just a tinkering that tries to make do withthe minimum changes.

In many parts of the world, societaland democratic mechanisms have givenimportance to projecting leadershipqualities, and consequently leaders, whohave cut their teeth on debates thatflourished half a century ago. They findthemselves strangely out of depth whilegrappling with current issues. Thesolutions offered are often irrelevant andinadequate. This inadequacy shows offin the inability of the leaders, and byextension the institutions they govern,to meet the genuine aspirations of thepeople. This gives rise to frustration andacts of disobedience and rebelliousnesstowards established authority. In turn,such antipathy erodes the rule of law andthe legitimacy of establishedinstitutions. Ineffectiveness and apathyof the instruments of the stateencourages groups - ethnic or regional -to takeover the legitimate functions ofthe state and organize themselves forsecurity and tax collection. As non-stateactors there are no binding covenantsor treaties to ensure “civilized” behavior.The independent groups develop theirown agendas - illegal mining, drugtrafficking, and the like, that requireinteraction and close collaboration withsimilarly placed groups elsewhere.

Soon the state is under threat andits finances under pressure. Economicgrowth slows down, and in some cases,even reverses so that issues ofunemployment, poverty, and decline ofadministrative standards become areality. People’s perceptions undergo achange and the vicious cycle beginsagain. It is in such an environment thatdisenchanted youth congregate andexpose themselves to fundamentalistinfluences. A combination of porousborders, breakdown in rule of law, declineof state instruments especially the policeand judiciary, make radicals like OsamaBin Laden believable and facilitatebreeding grounds for terrorists.Criminals operate and thrive in regions

where weak structures, weak rule of law,weak media and weak NGOs exist. Anable woman at times emerges and takescharge to be ousted soon after by vestedinterests.

We are reminded of Sir BernardShaw’s quotation and the futility of it all,“Those who can reform the system donot want to attempt it and those whoreally wish to reform just have no poweror capability to do it”.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND GENDER

This is a complex and difficult

issue in India as elsewhere. TheConstitution of India guarantees genderjustice - freedom of choice and equalityof opportunity for education,occupation, wages and the like. But, this“de jure” freedom or equality does notoften get translated on the ground. Wehave about 500 million women, a bignumber if we think of it as a cohesivewhole. But, in ones and twos across thecountry in family, at the work place, inthe fields and on the road women oftencontinue to be victims of discrimination,harassment and crime. Illiteracy andpoverty coupled with suppressivecustoms and traditional mindset in thepatriarchal Asian milieu have placedwomen in a dark corner.

Juxtaposed alongside we have afair percentage of educated andempowered women spread across allwalks of life. In a way, Women’sMovement in India has come of age.Women occupied high positions inIndia’s freedom struggle. Today, the nextgeneration seem ready “to pause, reflectand explore our identity as womenbeyond gender stereo types, colonizedmindsets, western psychologicaltheories and constructs, male centricleaderships and racial hierarchy. Weknow that deep within us, women’sbodies, we carry immense wisdom,authority and strength that may not beeasily comprehended and verbalized”.

We have the concept of “Shakti” onDivine Woman Power in legends. Indiahad produced many heroic women rolemodels down the centuries. Even today,there are many who stand head andshoulders above the rest of the leadersin politics and professions includingpolice. It is a matter of honor for theIndian police that the InternationalMagsasay Award was given to KiranBedi, a police officer for innovativepractices enriching the quality of life ofprisoners of the Central Prison of Delhi.She is the only government official toget this award.

India has about 20,000 women ofall ranks in police in the 2,000,000(2 million) strong police force. They areat a stage when they are confronting thenegative attitudes and values of thesociety and are struggling to find theirfeet. Ironically, many a time theythemselves get bogged down by theirown patriarchal upbringing, and bring inthe societal biases, prejudices,predilections, dogmas, myths,stereotypes, etc., when dealing withwomen victims. A lot of gender- relatedwork is being done. Still, a lot remains tobe done.

In addition to drawing up a“National Policy for Empowerment ofWoman”, there have been twosignificant initiatives. One was a NationalWorkshop with 600 participants onGender and Law Enforcement. This wasthe result of several regional workshopsorganized by National Commission forWomen in collaboration with NGOs. Theother was the “ Springboard” programmeto empower women in the police. Thisinitiative is an attempt at forging a newfuture for women in police. Modeled onthe “Gender Agenda” launched in theUK, it seeks to awaken the police toissues which must be tackled if it is todevelop women’s potential as a delivererof quality services to the public in the21st century. “Springboard” was withsimilar regional training endeavors,culminating in a National Conference

Academy Journal 28

where 550 Women in Police fromConstables to Inspectors General ofPolice took part in deliberations, sharingexperience and displaying their strengthsand projecting their aspirations.

A definition of gendersensitization and gender stereotypesemerged out of these massive endeavors.“Gender sensitization should be seen asa higher responsiveness to the inequityand unequal power equation of genderrelations, heightened receptivity to agender-value framework that challengesthe patriarchal stereotypes in order toensure gender justice. It denotes aprocess of resocialisation - a process ofunlearning the gender bias, both societaland organizational”(Report of theNational Workshop on Gender and LawEnforcement by National Commissionfor Women).

Gender Stereotype/ Springboard

Men’s Women’sPerception Perception

Woman suited for Can performfeminine funtions all funtions

Take same pay but do Do more workless work

Not enthusiastic or Committedcareer minded

Difficult to cope with No problempolice

Cannot work in Can handleoperations everything

Too gentle and soft Can be toughwhen needed

Gender Discrimination and inequality

Women are not There isdiscriminated discrimination

Given the same Not givenresponsibilities

Given the same Not givenincentives

No need to integrate Want to be inmainstream

Men are more capable Women arecapable

Superiors view equally Discriminate

Need more training All needtraining

Mahatma Gandhi, father of thenation, as early as 1930 observed: “It iswrong to treat woman as weak. This isgross injustice to womanhood. If thedefinition of strength is physicalstrength, women may be consideredweak. But if strength is defined in termsof moral character, women are strongerthan men are, women have more insight,are more devoted than men, and havemore self-control”. Striving towards thisvision, National Policy for Empowermentof Women was aimed at all round politicaland economic participation of womenand mainstreaming of gender.

There is one very strong argumentin favor of inducting more women inpolice. The context of a paradigm shiftfrom colonial policing to a democraticone. In India we still follow the PenalCode and Criminal Procedure Code setout by Lord Macaulay in a bygone era.The police force was the coercive arm ofthe traders turned colonial rulers tosuppress the Indian subjects. In the halfa century since independence, the policeforces in India had to gradually andgrudgingly move from a ‘Force concept’to a ‘Service concept’.

What are the pre-requisites to sucha change from being a Force to a Service?The shift has to be from being aController and Enforcer to a Facilitatorand an Expert to help in need. It calls fordifferent qualities: greater sensitivity andsensitiveness in responding tosituations and people for a start. Whensuch a transformation is being demandedof the police in the present democraticset-up, the relevance of woman with herinnate strengths of patience, sensitivityand sensitiveness fits the bill as the

agent for bringing about and sustainingthe change. There is a change in theethos with many reform initiatives andmore and more women coming into thepolice at all levels.

In addition to the induction ofwomen, another important changemechanism has been gendersensitization programme that has beenintroduced at various levels. In thepredominantly patriarchal, conservativeIndian society, survival of the women inthe male bastion of the police withoutacquiring some characteristics of the‘force’ concept and ‘male’ behaviouroften became difficult. Many gave in, andbecome part of the milieu or even quitthe job when they could not handle thepsychological and physical dualities.Happily, there are some signs ofchanging attitudes and women beingaccepted as they are. The next stepideally would be to see women as anasset with special, positive strengths,which can be gainfully utilized to revampand rejuvenate the Police Service. Thatperhaps is a far away dream!

WOMEN LEADERS IN POLICE

Where do we go from here? WhatWomen Police Leaders can instigate?More women are joining the lawenforcement services today. There arenow a significant number of women atall level including senior levels. Statisticsshow that annual recruitment to seniorexecutive levels in 1972 was 1 woman inIPS. There had been a regular intakethereafter, one each year till 1975 out ofannual intake of about 65. There was asteady increase and had reached double-digits in the past 5 years.

Several issues are still relevantwhich need to be resolved. A core centralissue is the concern for equalopportunity. The system has to ensure alevel playing field if women are to havesatisfaction and just advancement.Women leaders have to assert their rolein ensuring this for the others.

29 July - Dec 2002

The need of the hour also is tomotivate women in police towards

• Continuous training anddevelopment

• Professionalism

• Aim for excellence

• Stress on team playing

CONCLUSION

The time has come for a critical

evaluation of women’s contribution andnew opportunities for leaders toencourage greater contribution andimpact. In today’s knowledge-intensiveworld, it is imperative to developstrategic management approach to helpwomen in their personal and professionaldevelopment in the context of theirgender. Identifying barriers to progressand strategize to overcome these barriersby putting in place formal procedures forgender auditing is essential.Professional, well-trained women leadersin police can play the role of motivatorsand agents of change.

Women police should also focuson non-traditional areas like ethics,community policing, emerging crimeareas including IT, environment, minorityrights, and leadership where they canmake a critical impact. It could be therole of women leaders to show the wayto maximize the potential of the specialqualities of woman. While she can do allthe jobs well, she can excel in some andshe should have the freedom of theknowledge.

Simultaneously, increasingpolitical sensitivity is also necessary toinfluence policy for positive outcome forwomen, especially in providing the rightquality of working environment.Women’s awareness of issues and activeinvolvement can instigate betterment allaround. Even better governance can beinsisted upon by pressure groups/NGOs with women playing a catalyticrole.

Women “hold up half the sky” andthe service and society will only gain ifthe full potential of its women can betapped. In this direction, any initiativeattempting to forge linkages globally

would be relevant and of great value toprofessional functioning, societaldevelopment and individual aspirations.A common knowledge network platformto facilitate sharing and learning can formthe basis for personal and professionaldevelopment all around. Informalorganizations of women can strengthenand support existing formal structureslike Interpol and IACP contributing freshinsights, a new perspective andhopefully, viable solutions. Finally, wecould go along with the exhortation ofRon Noble, Secretary-General, Interpolwho inaugurated this Conference, Iquote, “police professionals...must buildbridges to the rest of the internationalcommunity...increasingly work withinternational organizations...as well aswith regional police organizations...where possible we must avoidunnecessary duplication.” This isequally true of forging relationships andnetworking for empowerment by Womenleaders in police, to work to their fullpotential, and more significantly benefitsociety.

* * *

Every JobEvery JobEvery JobEvery JobEvery Jobis a self-portrait of the personis a self-portrait of the personis a self-portrait of the personis a self-portrait of the personis a self-portrait of the person

who did itwho did itwho did itwho did itwho did it

AutographAutographAutographAutographAutographyour workyour workyour workyour workyour work

with excellencewith excellencewith excellencewith excellencewith excellence

Academy Journal 30

CRYING CHALLENGE BEFORE WOMEN ININDIA - A PERSPECTIVE

Tejdeep Kaur Menon

It is by now commonplace to

talk about the fair sex getting a fairdeal. Be it the enactment of new sociallaws, the creation of new institutionsfor target groups and even the lipservice about providing reservationsfor them in all elected bodies. Yet, weare still far from it. There is no betterevidence of how and why theempowerment of women in India ispoor than in the revealing statistics ofthe Crime Against Women (CAW), thehandling of these grave offences, theprofile of the victims, the accused andthe ultimate disposal of the cases.

Crime against women hastraditionally been classified to includecases of rape, kidnapping andabduction, dowry death, torture,molestation, sexual harassment,importation of girls, cases under the

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, SatiPrevention Act, Dowry ProhibitionAct, Indecent Representation ofWomen (Prevention) Act. In the year2000 a total of 1, 41, 373 cases werereported.

A study of the CAW data showsthat there was an increase of 4.1 per centand 3.3 per cent in 2000 over theprevious years 1999 and 1998. Inabsolute numbers, an increase of 5, 502cases was reported at the national levelin 2000 over 1999. This increase shouldbe viewed against the 0.4 per centdecrease in the Indian Penal Code (IPC)crimes and 7.9 per cent decrease inSpecial and Local Laws (SLL) crimes in2000 when compared to that in theearlier year 1999. It is noteworthy thatLakshwadweep did not report a singleincident of CAW in 2000.

31 July - Dec 2002

The proportion of CAW to thetotal crime reported in the country (IPC)is 7.2 per cent. The all India crime ratethat is number of crimes per lakhpopulation for CAW, reported to thepolice worked out to be 14.1 during 2000.This state of crime that may not appearalarming at first sight is to be viewed withcaution as a sizeable number of crimeagainst women go unreported due tovarious reasons. Clearly, this is a patheticsituation.

Consider the larger picture. The 23big cities accounted for 12 per cent ofthe total CAW cases in the country. Ofthese, Chennai accounted for 24 percentof these cases, followed by Delhi at 12.6per cent. However, the rate of CAWpresents a different picture. Significantly,it shows a higher rate of 59.8 per cent forChennai, followed by Kanpur and Jaipurat 39 and 36. Among the six metros,Calcutta is the safest for women. It hasrecorded half of what was reported inBangalore.

As much as 31.8 per cent of dowrydeath cases reported at the national levelwere from Uttar Pradesh (UP) alone,followed by Bihar with 15.5 per cent. It islogical to conclude that the harassmenton account of the pernicious practice ofdowry is very high in both the states.However, it should be noted that theincidence of torture cases (under section498 A IPC) in UP accounted for 13.2 percent and Bihar only for 3 per cent of casesreported under this head. This leads usto believe that these states take accountof the practice of harassing women fordowry only when they are confrontedwith the bodies of the helpless women.

In cases of rape, 40 per cent ofthe victims were in the age group of 19to 30 years and 20.8 per cent in the agegroup of 16 to 18 years. Also in cases ofrape, victims knew the offenders in 87.4of every 100 cases. This is the picturethat emerges from an analysis of the16,496 rape offences that were reportedin 2000. Neighbours were accused ofrape in three out of every ten cases.

Madhya Pradesh alone accounted for23 per cent of rape cases in the countryand about 26 per cent of the totalmolestation cases.

Incest accounted for 2.2 per centcases. In the majority of the cases ofincest, the victims were below eighteenyears of age. Forty seven per cent ofall rape victims were less thaneighteen years old. This shatters themyth about women shouting rape whilecaught in a willing act. In fact, one ofevery five women raped is an innocentand helpless child.

The cases of torture for dowryare the highest among CAW casesaccounting for 32.4 per cent of thecases. The incidence of increase is 4.4per cent over the previous year. Thereis intense criticism against the misuseof Section 498 A IPC by women toharass the gullible spouses. The factis that civil law is lagging way behindthe changes and nuances in family andgender relations in the ongoingchurning process and rapidlytransforming Indian society.

The Guardians and Wards Act,1890, the Special Marriage Act, 1954,Hindu Marriage Act,1955, the HinduSuccession Act, 1956 and the HinduMinority and Guardianship Act,1956do not in any way reflect theaspirations of a woman trapped in amurderous marriage and seeking earlyrelief from its bondage. Irretrievablebreakdown of marriage is notmaintainable as a ground for divorcein India - a common ground for grantof divorce by courts in the USA.

Coupled with this is the problemof archaic methodology employed bycourts in settling disputes relating tocustody of children, computation anddivision of the marital property, returnof streedhan, fixation and securing ofmaintenance, often weighed heavilyagainst the interests of the womanseeking relief.

The absence of adequate civilcourts, especially family courts, and thefailure of family courts to function as perthe spirit of the Family Courts Act, 1994,have made many a woman seek policehelp outside a police station and exploitSection 498 A IPC to secure divorce orsettlement involving her life, the children,maintenance and property.

This is not an attempt to demolishthe nobility of an enactment like the 498A IPC, but to enlighten the lawmakersand the stakeholders in the criminaljustice system towards bringing aboutlong desired changes in the civil law andthe legal procedures governing rights ofwomen seeking divorce or relief frommarital harassment.

The conviction of an erranthusband under Section 498 A IPC doesnot entitle a woman to an automaticdivorce. She would have to approach acivil court and battle with her husbandfor divorce and also pursue the criminalcase filed in a police station to seek justice.In fact, if she is economically dependenton him and he has to undergoimprisonment, the question ofmaintenance may not arise. Therefore,women use Section 498 A IPC more oftento redress all marital grievances for aquicker and advantageous settlement.This is reflected in various parameters.The very high percentage of cases underSection 498 A of IPC, that is 8.9 per cent,in which the police found the charge tobe false, mistake of fact or law, or othergrounds for referring the case is incontrast to only 4.1 per cent of cases ofdowry death in which the police did so.

Also there is a very highpercentage of acquittal/discharge incases of cruelty by husbands andrelatives at 78 per cent of cases tried bycourts. The crime rate (rate of report) ofcases of cruelty by husband or relativesis as high as 4. 6, while the crime rate fordowry death is 0.7 and sexual harassmentis 1.1 in every 1 lakh population.

Academy Journal 32

Similarly, the arrest rate for casesof cruelty by husband or relatives is10.5 and is the highest in the CAWcategory. This comes fourth followingarrests in cases of rioting, hurt andthefts.

All these are pointers of theyawning gap between civil andcriminal law that needs to be bridged.The absence of a single window wherea woman can obtain different kinds ofrelief on an emergency basisbeginning from basic protection tostop the violence, being turned outfrom the husband’s home, restrainingthe husband from disposing ofproperty, emptying bank lockers andaccounts and depriving her the rightto be with and custody of her children.

In this bleak scenario, it is easyfor a man to throw his wife out of homeand wait for her to trudge the longwinding route through the courts forwhatever little relief she can get in theend. Consequently, in the anxiety andeagerness for a settlement, the harriedwoman is forced to agree to what is farless than her due. In the bargain,perhaps to get custody of her children,the woman may succumb to obnoxiousvisiting rights that have, in fact, long-term adverse impact on the growth ofthe children.

Most harassed women seekingjustice can file a criminal case underSection 498 A IPC on the charge ofmental and physical cruelty and adivorce on the same grounds.However, deterred by the painful spanof three to five years that it takes tosecure the first order from a court andthe proverbial Damocles swordhanging over her head, with the seriesof appeals the husband can file to setaside the first court order, forces herto seek closure of the criminal caseunder Section 498 A IPC and settle fora divorce on grounds of mutualconsent. In effect, the man has thecake and eats it too.

The Domestic Violence(Prevention) Bill, 2000 tabled inparliament on March 8, 2002, is asignificant step forward in recognizingthe problems of women, children andtheir other family members living in ahousehold where domestic violence ispracticed. When it is finally enactedas law, it will provide protection to thewoman against domestic violence byobtaining protection orders, residenceorders and monetary relief orders. Itwill obtain for her right to reside in ashared household, the right to beinformed of the access to such ordersand the service of accredited serviceproviders.

The bill bureaucratizes theprocess of justice by introducinganother avoidable tier – protectionofficer - between the complainant andthe court. There is enough experiencewith other legislations like the DowryProhibition Act and the Immoral Traffic(Prevention) Act to suggest theinefficacy of this tier.

Further, the bill does not caterto the longstanding demand of womenfor a appropriate linkages betweencivil and criminal law to make Section498 A effective. At most, the portentof the proposed legislation is likeproviding first aid to a critical patientin an emergency.

However, this temporary reliefshould be followed up with setting upof more family courts to deal withdivorce, maintenance, child custodyand division of property and revertingto the spirit that led to the formationof the family courts providing early,easy solutions to domestic problems.

The need to revise the rates ofmaintenance is long overdue. Also, theprotracted procedure to get a paltrymaintenance defeats the very purposeof the existence of the maintenancelaws.

Now, consider this. One in everyfive or 21.3 per cent of the total numberof murders in 2000 was of women. Thisadded up to 8,430 murders of womenthat year. Of these, 46 per cent were inthe prime of their life – the 19 – 30 agegroup. Karnataka (1293), Maharashtra(1132), Uttar Pradesh (1082) and Bihar(918) accounted for 56.5 per cent ofthe cases. Personal enmity, propertydisputes, love intrigues, dowry andgain are the major reasons formurdering women.

Another alarming fact is that asmany 36, 310 bodies of unidentifiedmen and women were recovered in2000. That means, as many as 99bodies were found on an average,every day that year. The metropolitancities of Hyderabad (2672), and Delhi(3571) reported very high incidencethat year. This leaves one with the eeriefeeling that it is still possible to murderand screen the identity of the victim.Worse still, law is unable to inspireenough confidence in the next of kin ofthe dead to help identify their dear ones.

Women victims far outnumber menin the category of kidnapping andabduction crime. They account for 67per cent of the 22,938 cases reported inthis category. Of the kidnapped orabducted women, 59 per cent were formarriage and 14 per cent for rape. Asignificant feature is that 37 per cent ofall women victims were less than 18years old.

The failure of the investigatingagency can be seen from the fact that 25per cent of the cases remained underinvestigation without finalisation of thecase till the end of the year. These arecases in which the victims remaineduntraced or the investigation wasunderway to establish the charge.

The police closed as many as 3,847cases of kidnapping and abduction ofwomen and girls or 16 per cent of thecases were found to be false, mistake offact or law.

33 July - Dec 2002

This signifies the shifting standtaken by the victim or her guardiantowards the crime and the criminal, inview of the existing social environment.They are perhaps handicapped andforced to get the victim married to theaccused or someone else by putting alid on the case. What is interesting tonote is that in 20.4 per cent of the cases,the children were kidnapped from Delhiitself.

The number of sexual harassmentcases, referred to as eve teasing in thepast, rose by 24.5 per cent over that in1999. More than 25 per cent of thesecases were reported from Uttar Pradesh,followed by Andhra Pradesh and TamilNadu.

It is natural to expect a significantco-relation in the pattern of rape,molestation and sexual harassment casesreported from a state. Sadly, this patternis not reflected in the statistics. MadhyaPradesh recorded the largest number ofrape (3737) and molestation cases (8516)but ranks much lower in the reporting ofsexual harassment cases (840). Thereason for Uttar Pradesh recording farlesser number of rapes (1865) andmolestation cases (2604) than moststates and then recording the highestnumber of sexual harassment cases(3160) is an issue for serious study. Thisis suggestive of the failure of the criminaljustice system to inspire confidence in avictim of rape or molestation and theinability of the victim to speak out onthe atrocity due to the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the state. It alsoraises serious doubts of the correctrecording of cases as they occur and theshocking apathy to gender issues.

The significantly large number ofsexual harassment cases reported fromTamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh areperhaps a pointer to the drive taken upby these states against gender crimes.

An interesting trend is seen in thereporting of the Immoral Traffic(Prevention) Act, and Indecent

Representation of Women (Prevention)Act. Under the first act, 73 per cent ofthe cases were from Tamil Nadu aloneand in the case of the second law, 57 percent of cases were from Andhra Pradesh.Many states like Karnataka, Haryana,Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab andWest Bengal did not report a single caseof indecent representation of womenduring the year. This is yet another starkpointer to the callousness of the policeand society in being insensitive to theissues relating to women that canpossibly help in nipping in the budpotential cases of gender crime.

A study of the figures of casesreported under the Immoral Traffic(Prevention) Act gives an impressionthat prostitution in India thrives in TamilNadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka,as 93 per cent of the cases have beenreported from these states only. TamilNadu alone accounted for 73 per cent ofthese cases. Does this mean there is noprostitution in the cities? Or, are casesnot reported from the cities of Nagpur,Patna, Bhopal, Pune, Lucknow,Ahmedabad, Indore, Kanpur, Vadodara,Varanasi ?

Both, the Immoral Traffic(Prevention) Act and the IndecentRepresentation of Women Act, arecomprehensive laws. But, these lawswere made without repealing provisionin the existing laws in the state andthat of the Indian Penal Code.Consequently, investigating officerstake advantage of the more lenientprovisions of the old laws to bookcases and, inadvertently, make amockery of thriving crime. It ispossible to herd a dozen womenaccused of prostitution and get themfined Rs.25 each under an existing lawsuch as a City Police Act or TownNuisance Act. This is a cakewalk incomparison to the elaborateinvestigation required under theImmoral Traffic (Prevention) Act tobook financiers, brokers, buildingowners and the clients of prostitutes.

Though the sex ratio in the countrywas 946 females for 1,000 males in 1951,it has worsened to 927 females for 1,000males in 2000. What then has happenedto our pre-natal, post-natal, nutritionalsupport, health care, girl child educationprogrammes throughout the country?The deep seated bias in India againstthe girl child with the availability of themost modern scientific techniques todetermine the sex of the foetus hasresulted in large scale detection andsnuffing out of the birth of a girl.

This grave injustice is not reflectedin the crime records of the country.Shockingly, just 104 cases of infanticideand 91 cases of foeticide were reportedfrom the entire country in 2000.Infanticide and foeticide are a way of lifein both urban and rural India and,therefore, the provisions of a progressivelaw like the Pre-natal DiagnosticTechniques (Registration and Preventionof Misuse) Act, 1994 remains a worthlessscrap of paper.

Who is a girl child? If one goes bythe Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 a girl childis one below 18 years of age. The ChildMarriage Restraint Act, 1928 alsospecifies 18 years as the cut off mark forpreventing child marriage. However, forthe purpose of defining rape, underSection 375 IPC, the age of consent forsexual intercourse is 16. This veryprovision provides for sexualintercourse by a man with his wife evenif she is below 16 and above 15. Further,in the next section 376 of IPC, exceptionis made for a husband for lesserpunishment if he rapes his wife who isabove 12 years of age. It is time that weclearly rid ourselves of such blatantanachronism, define who is a girl childand shelve once and for all antiquatedsocial laws.

Crime against women has beenclassified traditionally as marital andsexual crime. However, an importantsection of violent crime victimizeswomen even more. This is robbery and

Academy Journal 34

dacoity on homes. Women are primetargets for the jewels, usually theornaments they wear and keep athome. A total of 7, 624 cases werereported under the head dacoity androbbery at residential premises andproperty worth Rs.3249.70 lakhs waslooted from the inmates and homes bydacoits.

Other property crime thaterodes the safety and confidence ofwomen is burglaries and thefts. Theonly consolation is that it is not violentin nature.

Another area of focus for thoseanalysing issues of gender justice isthe commission of suicide.Housewives accounted for 52 per centof the total female suicide cases.Married women account for as highas 66.6 per cent of all suicide victims.The complex way in which badmarriages operate in driving women tosuicide is still to be fully understood.Further, 46.8 per cent of the victimshad less than middle schooleducation. Women preferred to drown,hang or immolate themselves.

Significantly, the majority of thewomen are between 15 and 29 years ofage, while male victims who commitsuicide are between 30 and 44. Forevery 59 male suicides there were 41of women. It is seen that social andeconomic causes led most males tocommit suicide while emotional andpersonal factors drove females to endtheir lives. This is evident from thedominant factors for female suicides.Suspected/illicit relationship, 56 percent, non-settlement or cancellation ofmarriage 66 per cent, not havingchildren 73 per cent, dowry dispute 98per cent, divorce 65 per cent, physicalabuse 68 per cent and illegitimatepregnancy 98 per cent.

All this casts a heavierresponsibility on women police alreadysaddled with important tasks toperform under the Criminal ProcedureCode in issues relating to search,arrest, and custody of womenwitnesses, arrestees and juveniledelinquents. The female criminality inthe total crime amounted to 5.4 percent. In all 3,22,631 women were arrestedduring 2000. The number of girls arrested

for juvenile offences were 4,128 or 23 percent of the juvenile offenders picked upthat year.

But there is just one policewomanfor every 52 policemen representing awoefully inadequate 2.09 per cent in theentire police force. The total strength is21,633.As many 18 states have a strengthof less than 1,000 each. Tamil Nadu is inthe lead with 4, 415 policewomen. Theshare of women in armed police is 0.45per cent. They exist only in a handful ofstates – Madhya Pradesh, HimachalPradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam,Goa and Delhi. All this means, there arenot enough policewomen to investigatethe cases of female criminality.

In such a dismal situation there istherefore no question of policewomenbeing available to tackle cases where thewoman is the victim rather than theoffender. It is time we put on the thinkingcaps to get our act together.

* * *

Sometimes,Sometimes,Sometimes,Sometimes,Sometimes, setting a good example setting a good example setting a good example setting a good example setting a good example

for your childrenfor your childrenfor your childrenfor your childrenfor your childrendoes nothingdoes nothingdoes nothingdoes nothingdoes nothingbut increasebut increasebut increasebut increasebut increase

their embarrassment their embarrassment their embarrassment their embarrassment their embarrassment

35 July - Dec 2002

EVER FIGHTING MEN

AP M a h e s h w a r i

Our overstretched democracy,

heavily loaded with enumerable pulls andpressures of various shades, has nowcome to a point where peace is a rareoccasion. We buy peace in installments.We buy temporary peace at a huge cost.Suffering the vagaries of caste andcommunal divide, struggling against thedistortions of poverty and the economicdivide, decrying the outcome of lowvalues and corrupt practices, fightingagainst system failures marred bypressures of population and repulsivelybearing the influence of bad managers.The list of fights and divides is addingfurther on day by day. In order to attainsome sort of synthesis, thoughsuperficial, we have generated a tallbattery of fighter forces as a containmentexercise. The containment exercise has,however, been rolling on for days. Thisever fighting scenario has now made it

difficult to contain the very fighter forcewhich was in itself meant to contain thedisintegrating elements. Guided bycommon impressions, we refuse to peepinto the reality. Alleged as necessary evil,apparently disliked and labeled ascorrupt and high headed, this socialsegment of peace-keepers in uniform hasits own pathological woes when the jobrequirements oscillate from crime topublic disorder, from insurgency toterrorism, from sabotage to subversions,from communal policing to urbanwarfare, its tasks are ever increasing.Normal system balances having failed,it faces the brunt of all the bad spillover.Not one day, two days or two years, foryears the fire fighting is going on. Theywere never linked as an integral sub-system of a development planning; theycame into being as a ‘patch work.’Hence, they are still reactive and not

Academy Journal 36

truly proactive. The attempt here is notto generate any illusions but draw theattention on the intrinsic aspects of thejob of these ever fighting men.

Every society is prone to crime andviolence. Socially Augmented CrimePrevention Drives (SACPD) and thedeterrence infused by the CriminalJustice Administration (CJA) are the twoknown methodologies to create peaceand order. Both are in a waysupplementary to each other. Amidst somany divides in our society, the later hasto face the brunt, more often than not.How effectively do they perform needsno elaboration. The job of the peace-keepers has become wide-ranging. Ruralsegments need a different set of policingskills in comparison to high-risemetropolitan towns where art of policingis often put to test. The high-tech urbanMafiosi and white collared criminalspose a challenge. Neo-elite need faithfulwatchdogs. Political manipulators needa repressive tool. The brutal segmentswhose sentiments are fuelled byfundamentalists entail use of equal forceto contain the tide. Over and above all,the subversive elements, whose actionsare master minded by unfriendlyneighbours, become ruthless and makeindiscriminate use of weapons,explosives and advanced technologiesto cause loss of life and property,whether of citizens or the security forces.The constant threat of the unknowndevil of death forces one to take allpossible counter measures. SACPD isnearly absent. Community indulgence inadducing evidences is also at a low mark.CJA is also not producing results. Undersuch an environment, the psycho-behavioural domains, emerging withinthe internal configuration of the humanbeing working as a peace-keeper, tendto become rigidly complicated. They arefractured from basic humane touch to thebrutal instinct, they encompass anythingfrom love to hate, constant fight againstterrorism or insurgency make themmoron, insensitive and full of negativelyheightened emotionality. If you do notact as a death devil for the terrorist, he

would celebrate your death and takeaway the weapons too, in order to havemore feasts. In many situations, there areno clear-cut solutions. Over-doing isoften regarded better than underplaying.Thus the jobs of peace-keepers swindlefrom normal to the abnormal. One canhave no two options that a normalsituation should be met by normal anddecent human norms. But a highlyabnormal situation calls for contingencymanagement which may even entail asurgery. This is true about medical fieldas well as business enterprises so alsofor any organisation fighting againstadvanced crises. Adding to it is the factthat these tasks are done by people wholive against the norms of a healthy lifestyle. Away from families for ten monthsout of twelve, irregular working hours,unhygienic living conditions, over-loaded with negative floats of life. Withthe breaking down of joint familysystems, the nuclear families, where malemember remains away for ten months ina year, find it difficult to cope with theproblems of life. This also eclipses themental peace which he could affordotherwise.

Everyone needs some privacy andspace in relationships, in order tosurvive. This is an inherent humanrequirement. The peace-keepers thrive onimposed relationships with no mutualspace and privacy as they have to anyway roll on in a make shift arrangements,so called barracks. With humansensitivities increasing day by day theold patterns may require drastic changes.But cost is a limiting factor. Hence, thereis a big trade off between normative andreal conditions. The problem ofemotional stress is mostly prevailing atlower cadres. The higher cadres may notfeel the brunt so much as do the peace-keepers at lower rungs. Though a coupleof deviant tendencies acquired by themcannot be let go scot-free, certain typesof deviant behaviours are normal, i.e.,likely to be adopted by any person doingthose jobs. Thus the job context and jobcontent factors cannot be ignored. Stillglaring are the tactics which have been

adopted since time immemorial by allcivilisations to handle the badcomponents, like a bad sore or a boil onthe body. Consequently, the peace-keepers tend to build a sub-culture fullof inherent contradictions vis-a-vis thesuperficially perceived reality of thesociety.

The job of peace-keepers has, dueto the above complexities, gone downon priority of the society’s youth. Thediscarded young aspirants join them asa last fight against hunger. In order toneed more people to fight and die, wekeep buying their helplessness againsthunger. Yet they join and imbibe thelessons of patriotism and loyalty underthe tuning for discipline. The vertical andhorizontal divides of the society baffle acop till he draws a perpendicular andhangs on to it as his anchor. It could beanything under the sky which hisenvironment can give. He had been thepart of the same society and takes whatit gives and does it so, at times, with nosensitivity. Thus, the contradictions inpersonal and organizational goals,perceptional difference of roles andresponses vis-à-vis the socialexpectations are bound to occur.

Another area hampering hisfunctioning is the flow of informationfrom the community which is oftenblocked due to lack of trust and theprevalence of a negative image. Once thetimely information becomes a casualty,the operational requirements force himto adopt other means. The time testedmethods in this category are eithermonetary allurement or looking for abreak-away group of the same gang orlocate the enemy’s enemy or play oneagainst the other. At times, when nothingflows, general brooming is done. Theresult is the violation of the rights ofmany. But what has been prevented isintangible and a peace-keeper cannottake credit for it, yet he has to explainwhat has tangibly occurred. One effectiveway to win community support and winfavour is to add the charter of providingmaterial services to the community in

37 July - Dec 2002

contrast to the singular role of checkingthe people against their deviantbehaviours. These type of job profileshave been adopted in insurgency proneareas but selectively. Communitydevelopment programmes, health camps,education initiatives, etc., are beingundertaken by security forces so as togain community support and improve theimage from that of a monitor to the imageof a helper. Police agencies abroad havethese roles in normal course too, e.g.,providing services of vehicles in case ofaccidents. The situation of trust as afriend prompts real time voluntaryinformation from people. Peace-keepersdo not have such roles in India yet as anormal charter, on the contrary the shorttenures of postings keeps people moreapprehensive what will happen if he goes.Developing rapport does take time.

It is this environment a peace-keeper works in. What was thought asan exception became a routine and thatalso on a multifarious scale. There aresituations where no clear cut solutionsare available nor does the time permit tothink for long. There is a constant raceagainst time. Compromise in quality mayoccur. But we cannot afford the cost oferror or delay in extreme cases of violencewhich is irreversibly colossal. It has tobe either in terms of dead bodies ordamaged property. Further, the low socialcontribution and indulgence towardspolicing, high expectations and constantcriticism under such a situation makesthem either inactive or prompts them tomatch the gap through short cuts. Eithersituation is bad. All the cases of malafideacts on part of the peace-keepers arepurported to be dealt strictly under lawbut acts done in good faith need to betolerated. At times, the premature socialaudit or media trial damages theenthusiasm. ‘Play safe’ psychology setsin. We cannot ignore this fact also thatfor crisis management, the higher risk isto be taken. It is here that the low riskbearing psyche comes in contradiction.Even the best of the existing systems,the human body, which has no parallel,cannot thrive on the doctor’s

prescriptions for its health forever. Thesystem has to follow certain norms formaintaining its health. Thus, theimportance of inbuilt social mechanismto prevent the occurrence of crime or tocontrol the deviant behaviour cannot beignored. Whether one is being raped ortortured or any accidental crime takesplace in public, rarely do people come tothe rescue of the victim or help resistthe criminal on the spot. Thegrotesquely apathetic behaviour ofpeople sends a wave of repugnance.Public apathy in itself encourages crime.In India, we have lost control of socialdefence mechanism and adoptedlegalistic approach for enforcing anyvalue or behaviour. This deterrentapproach has its own fallouts if theformer is substantially non-existent.This is a crucial fact not to be missed.This is another big contradiction inreality arising out of the overindulgenceof society in coercive methods via legalapproach to problem solving and under-indulgence in socially and culturallyinduced self-sustaining approach.

A liberal social perception ofhuman rights should find its way in allthe facets of life. But when a copperceives human rights, at least in areasof high-risk zones where gun tottingmilitants kill peace-keepers or innocentpublic, he comes in contradiction withliberal social perceptions. Manysocieties have, therefore, narroweddown on this issue and tend to ignorethe human rights of an oppressor to theextent he has himself gone against thenorms of human rights or damaged thepublic life and property.

Psycho-behavioural aspects andinherent contradictions are one side ofthe total issue. The extrinsic aspects areequally important which provide thelogistic support system for efficientfunctioning. The foremost logisticsupport comes from the workingenvironment. The systems which controlthe police functioning have been foundbasically defective but no efforts havebeen made either to change the old

Police Act of 1861 made by British forcolonial control nor therecommendations of National PoliceCommission have been implemented fordecades. Rather top-heavy structuresalong with various autonomous bodieshave been formed for multiple controls.We control the symptoms but not thebasic ailment. Amidst all this, the socialconcern shown in some cases, includingmedia trial, any superficial effort wouldmiss the mark and any comment or studyin a non-holistic scenario may beeventually impact-less. A superficialpost mortem and the passing ofjudgement against crisis managers arenot going to fetch any desired benefits.A few analysts feel that the society mayhave to repent for the dampeningdemonstration effect down thehierarchy, if the heroes of crisisenvironment are deplored and theirtactics are put to an audit as per theparameters of the ‘normal situations’.Handling of Punjab can be taken as acase study to decide the authenticity ofthis hypothesis. ‘The opportunity lost’factor cannot be ignored. It is difficultto say, “had it not been the situation,then what.” At times, the best medicineis no medicine. In the same coin, attimes, the best medicine is the onlymedicine which works. Every patient hashis own system and capacity torespond. On the same logic, Punjabcannot be compared with J & K and J &K with North-East. But what we need toperform are seen in two importantaspects - the commitment towards agiven task and the efficiency levelrequired to perform the task. Thecommitment level has to be controlledthrough proper psycho-behaviouralinputs, right social support systems andappropriate demonstration effect,proper internalisation of the force, rightleadership upto political level (thecontrolling visionaries) and judicialsupport system. Coming over to theefficiency aspect, a few glaring changesin logistics need to be considered tocope with changing circumstanceswhere rebels or the so called militantgroups now frequently resort to the use

Academy Journal 38

of improvised explosive devices (IEDs)and also adopt the tactics like hijackingor arm-twisting through a hostagesituation. Here we ought to focus moreon functional requirements at theoperational levels of the security forces.

Though efforts have been madeto modernise the security forces to facethe crisis, which has deepened over aperiod of time, much remains to be donein a resource constraint situation.Secondly, modernisation is a constantchase as criminals and perpetrators areat a faster pace. Certain professionalstudies have suggested the followingadvanced logistic support systems forthe security forces in order to cope withthe impending violence in all terrainsincluding urban topography.

• Devising semi-autonomousrobotic systems to work as adetective as well as ‘pilot-defence’ against use of IEDs orattack by terrorists in a hostagesituation. These robots could bemade capable of accessingdigitalised or voice activated fires.The lethal fire assault weaponcould be made more precise.

• Advanced mobility systems, notonly to cover horizontal distancesbut also to leap vertically in a highrise topography including urbanmulti-storey scenario.

• Various scanners, cameras,satellite controlled mappingsystems, etc., could be providedto exactly locate what is whereinside a building or a coveredplace. Developing such systemsis not difficult. Cost would indeedbe a limiting factor. But it is hightime human life should also bevalued more.

• Advanced communicationsystems, which can also providenavigation facility acrossunmanned vehicles or throughrobots including piercing throughthe walls.

• Uniforms may be made up of thematerial ensuring survivability,should be facilitating any type ofcamouflage and harnessed tocarry all types of tools and kits,besides arms and ammunition,such that hands and other limbsare unconstrained for anymovement or action.

• Men be provided with food orenergy inputs in concentratedform as a capsule which is lighterto carry in good quantity and notoccupying much space. Waterpurifier kits can be provided in ahandy way. These things wouldmake him survive at least for aweek without any hindrance forwant of basic body intakes. Suchsort of sustainability is notdifficult to plan.

Though the various types ofadvanced equipments are graduallybeing made available, the rapidity oftechnological changes keep theobsolescence fator high. With theupgradation of technology, thecorresponding problems of modifiedlearning are not being attended to in anappropriate manner. Hence, the gaps incapability tend to persist compromisingthe efficiency factor.

The constant and wide areadeployment has also raised theproblems of quick movement,temporary camping and availability ofbasic amenities. Physical environmenthas got its own covert impact on thepsyche of a person. One’s capacity todevelop positive thoughts and hiscapacity to tolerate functional irritantsis another area of concern. Certainforces are still working on bureaucraticpatterns instead of ‘viable team’concept. Though QRTs (QuickResponse Teams) are constituted,they may not be so effective. Absenceof the system of retrenchment orretirement at various levels has carriedthe police forces in a state that majorityof people at cutting- edge level or key-

operational level are having higher ageprofile not compatible with thesituational requirement. Generally,twenty to thirty five is the viable agebracket to work as line functionary ata high efficiency level. These jobs arefull of stress (overt and covert). Theyare critical as the opportunity cost oferror is high. The systems of periodicleave, healthy entertainment andindulgence in positive flows of lifebecome indispensable conditions forstress release. Peace-keepers have todeal with human beings with respectto their deviant behaviour.Unfortunately, they are least adept inhuman relations or behaviouralaspects. A right focus is needed.

The idea of presenting such ananalysis is neither to defend thepeace- keepers for their wrongs nordepict any helplessness. We must beclear where to go and how to go. Onemust have an exact road map for that.If we do not proceed systematicallyand provide effective designs, theresult would be subjective and basedon individual preferences. If thegeneral ratio of good to bad is twentyto eighty, so would be the naturaloutcome in individualized designs.Hence, in order to make the socialconcerns for the existing malaisemeaningful, it is not enough to criticizeor put someone to social/media trail.One must not also undermine theimportance of inbuilt social defencemechanism of crime prevention andcrime control. Action by securityforces can only be supplementary andworkable for temporary containment.It cannot be the final answer. Despitethis fact, we are rolling much on theshoulders of indoctrinated peace-keepers who are themselves not atpeace. We must take care of therequired psycho-behaviouralconditions and the logistic supportsystems, technical as well as social.

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39 July - Dec 2002

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR POLICE

M Nageswara Rao

S tatistical model is used

extensively often to the exclusion ofother methods in judging theperformance of police. As can beexpected, the police, like any otherentity, has for long been able tocircumvent any surgical analysis andassessment of its performance bycooking up statistics resulting in manydistortions in the system of policing. IPSofficers often call themselves to beleaders of the police. In order to be trueto such claim, they need to go deep intothe distortions and diagnose theproblem for finding solutions to judgethe police performance as objectivelyand realistically as may be possible on acontinuing basis. This requiresprescription of certain performanceindicators for the police. In my view, thefollowing few, among others, are worthconsideration.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR-I :SENSE OF SECURITY

More than statistics, it is the senseof security that a common man feelsshould be the indicator for judging thepolice performance. But quantifying‘sense of security’ is a very difficult taskand it may be subjective too. However,the extent of satisfaction of policeperformance felt by the local peopleexpressed through their elected localself-government bodies can be acriterion for judging the sense ofsecurity. Since the electedrepresentatives of the local self-government bodies are answerable to,by being very proximate and part of thelocal people, the sense of security as aperformance indicator, can be judgedvery well through the fora ofdemocratically elected local bodies. Forthis to happen, the elected local self-

Academy Journal 40

government bodies have to be given asay in the functioning of police. To putit in simple terms, the police should bedemocratized to provide the muchneeded sense of security to the people.

The world over, in mostdemocratic countries and historically inIndia, till the advent of British rule,policing was a municipal function andpolice worked under the control of localself-government bodies. But in India,we have a monolithic leviathan ofcolonial construct called the Indianpolice, which is not answerable oraccountable in any manner to the localpeople whose lives and properties it issupposed to protect. The control ofpolice by the State level democraticbodies, i.e., the Legislative Assemblies,is at best minimal and at worst nebulous.Democracy has no real meaning unlessthe people are able to manage their ownimmediate affairs including security oftheir lives and properties, which is themost basic and immediate concern ofevery human being. After the 73rd and74th amendments to the Constitution ofIndia, the Urban Local Bodies andPanchayat Raj Institutions becamepermanent constitutional bodies. Hence,these democratic bodies can and needto be given certain responsibilities ofpolicing of their areas for ushering in ademocratic police responsive andresponsible to the needs of, and at thesame time accountable to, the localpeople through their democraticallyelected local self-government bodies.

Such a change can easily bebrought about by the State Governmentsdeclaring the Zilla Parishad Chairmen asDistrict Magistrates; the Zilla ParishadVice-Chairmen and the Mayors ofMunicipal Corporations as AdditionalDistrict Magistrates; the Deputy Mayorsof Municipal Corporations, theChairmen of Panchayat Samitis andMunicipalities as Sub-DivisionalMagistrates; and the Vice-Chairmen ofPanchayat Samitis and Municipalities asExecutive Magistrates in their respective

areas under section 20 of the CrPC, 1973.The other elected representatives of theUrban Local Bodies and Panchayat RajInstitutions may be declared as SpecialExecutive Magistrates in their respectiveareas under section 21 of the CrPC, 1973.This will atonce make the policeanswerable to the local self-governmentbodies and the elected representativesof these bodies get involved on a regularbasis in prevention and detection ofcrime and maintenance of law and orderin their areas. Since the Police Manualsand executive instructions of theGovernments stipulate a well definedrole for the Executive Magistracy vis-a-vis the police, it will be a very smoothtransition of police getting democratizedand becoming answerable to the localpeople through the constitutionallyelected local self-government bodies.This is akin to the democratically electedIndian leaders replacing the British rulersafter independence, on the existingbureaucratic substratum and, therefore,does not require any change in the laws,rules and procedures. A simplenotification by the State Governmentsunder sections 20 and 21 CrPC, 1973 willsuffice.

This idea may be considered veryunorthodox and for some it may even beblasphemous. Vehement opposition toan idea is one of the indicators of thestrength of the idea itself. That apart,such objections will be as specious andsimilar in nature as to those of the Britishto the demand for Indian independencethat Indians are incapable of managingtheir own affairs and, therefore, unfit tobe independent. It is high time that werepose more trust in our own people andelected representatives and stopdemonizing the political class, lest it maydegenerate into questioning the verylegitimacy of democracy.

Indians have a tendency to resignevery privation to their karma or fate. Andconsequently, they continue to endureunabatedly for more than 140 years therapacity of the colonial police set-up,whose character is mercenary and

exploitative. It is high time for a changeto a democratic system with some localcontrol over police. Heavens will not fallif it is given a try.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR-II :FREE REGISTRATION OF CRIME

A moderate increase of crime is oneof the indices of dynamism of a society.The quantum and nature of crime in agiven society is a function of the size ofits population including changes indemographic composition, the extent ofurbanization, industrialization, mobility,unemployment, awareness of rights, newlegislations creating new types ofoffences, technological advancements, etc.In the context of present day society, allthese factors have been increasingwhich should, therefore, naturally leadto commensurate rise in crime. But a lookat the crime figures registered by thepolice indicates that crime has remainedmore or less stable giving an impressionthat our society is static. This cannot betrue. It is an open secret that there isrampant burking of crime. Hence, theonly inference that could be drawn fromthe crime statistics is that they do notproject complete picture of crime andcriminality in the society. Suchincomplete picturization leads tocomplacency on the part of lawenforcement, governmental and non-governmental agencies leading toincreased levels of tolerance of crimewhich will have disastrous long termeffects on the whole society itself. It is,therefore, necessary to reverse the trendof non or selective registration andminimization of crime by the police.

The first and foremostrequirement to achieve this objectiveis that senior police officers should notfeel shy of accepting the reality andstating that rise of crime is naturalwhen the factors contributing theretoare increasing. Secondly, theperiodical crime reviews must notroutinely comment adversely on increaseof crime. On the other hand, the focus

41 July - Dec 2002

should, inter-alia, be more on why crimein a given area has remained static or isdecreasing. Thirdly, free registration ofall cognizable offences brings smalltime or casual criminals within the policescrutiny, which may prevent theirtransformation into big operators. Thisis like a stitch in time saving nine.Lastly, registration of crime cannot becaptive to the whims, fancies and sweetwill of police officers suiting their needs.The law unequivocally stipulates thatevery cognizable offence must beregistered and police have nodiscretion. But this mandate is followedmore in breach than in practice leadingto disaffection of a large segment ofpopulation who are victims of crime. Asit is, non or selective registration andminimization of crime is the singlebiggest grievance of the people againstpolice. If this trend is allowed unabated,sooner than later, people will startquestioning the very raison d’etre ofpolice when it is not able to evenregister the crime, let alone bring theoffenders to justice. The speciousargument that police lack adequatemanpower to freely register andinvestigate crimes does not cut muchice as the victims of crime want justice,not justification. Hence, the paramountneed to make free registration of crime,an important performance indicator ofpolice.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR-III :CONVICTION AND NOTDETECTION

A look at the crime statistics

indicates that the percentage of crimesclaimed to have been detected by thepolice is increasing to unrealistic levels.On the other hand, large-scale acquittalsand abysmal rates of conviction aredistressing. Over emphasis on detection

is leading to distortion in the system andpolice officers, not in the least the seniorpolice officers, cook up fake detectionsto project a magnified picture of theirefficiency. As the old adage goes, “thetest of a pudding lies in eating.” A crimecan really be claimed to have beendetected only when it ends in convictionand not otherwise. It is accepted thatpolice is not the only sub-system ofcriminal justice system responsible forvery poor rates of conviction. But it mustbe admitted that police is the mostimportant sub-system of criminal justicesystem on the basis of whose recordsthe criminal law is normally set intomotion. Notwithstanding the claims ofdetection, if a crime is not properlyinvestigated it can never end inconviction even if best legal brains areengaged as prosecutors and even whenthe judge is favorably inclined.Moreover, by artificially increasing thedetections to unrealistic levels thecriminal courts are over-burdened withhuge pendency as every charge-sheetedcase has to be tried consuming valuabletime of courts, prosecutors and policeofficers. Consequently, trials ofgenuinely detected crimes are gettinginordinately delayed as courts areburdened with disposing of spuriousdetection cases. It is, therefore,imperative to rely only on conviction andnot on detection figures as aperformance indicator of police.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR - IV:CONVICTION OF CRIMESSUPERVISED BY SENIOROFFICERS

As per section 158 CrPC, senior

police officers of the rank of Inspectorsand above supervise investigation ofcrime. There are yardsticks for thenumber of cases to be supervised by

various ranks of senior officers. Butover a period of time, supervision bysenior officers has become a ritual andthere have been any number ofinstances where the senior officers didnot even bother to visit scenes ofcrimes, let alone participating ininvestigation. There are manyinstances of senior officers simplyappending their signatures on thesupervision notes prepared by theinvestigating officers. As a result,supervision by senior police officersis becoming a farce without anysubstantial impact on the quality ofinvestigation and detection. In orderto assess the performance of seniorpolice officers in supervision of cases,which is one of their most importantduties, it is necessary to analyze andtake the conviction rates of casessupervised by them as one of theirperformance indicators. For the samereasons as mentioned above,conviction rather than detectionfigures should be the basis for this. Itis very essential to make the seniorofficers directly accountable forproper detection and conviction in atleast the cases supervised by them.This has many advantages that seniorpolice officers will start taking moreactive interest in the functioning ofpolice at the basic level, i.e., policestation, which will result in overallimprovement of police performanceincluding discipline.

* * *

Enthusiasm is a sign of spritual healthEnthusiasm is a sign of spritual healthEnthusiasm is a sign of spritual healthEnthusiasm is a sign of spritual healthEnthusiasm is a sign of spritual health

Academy Journal 42

COMMUNITY POLICINGIN ANDHRA PRADESH

Dr C R a m a c h a n d r a N a i d u

Community Policing was

introduced in Andhra Pradesh in the year2000 under the name ‘Maithri.’ The ChiefMinister of Andhra Pradesh inauguratedthe programme at Gundla PochampalliVillage in Ranga Reddy District on5.4.2000.

It is a police-public partnershipprogramme. This programme orients theway the police should think and act. Itbroadens the police mandate beyond thenarrow focus of fighting crime to includeefforts to fight fear of crime and disorderas well.

This philosophy provides anorganizational strategy that motivatespolice officers to solve communityproblems in new and innovative ways. Itenvisages that the police must closelywork with the people in the community

by allowing average citizens a say in thepolice process, in exchange of theirsupport and participation.

Maithri rests on the belief thatcontemporary community problemsrequire a decentralized and personalizedpolice approach which involves citizensin the process of policing themselves.

It creates a positive shift in therole of the police from ‘working againstthe bad people’ to ‘working with thegood people’ in the society. As a result,police no longer remain as law enforcersbut take the role of facilitators andmentors to the society .

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of Maithri are

mainly:

43 July - Dec 2002

1. To meet the felt and expressedneeds of small and variedgroups of people in thecommunity by activelyinvolving them in the process.

2. To organize proactive measuresto prevent and detect crime, and

3. To provide personalized qualityservice to the people at thedecentralized level.

MAITHRI COMMITTEES

Police-public partnership under

Maithri is operationalised by organisinglocal citizens into committees called‘Maithri Committees’.

The role of the Maithri Committeeslies in identifying the local problems orissues, finding innovative solutions andhelping the police in implementing thesolutions.

All the Law and Order policestations and Traffic police stations formMaithri Committees. Maithri Committeesare formed covering small andhomogeneous local areas, the residentsof which generally face the same issuesso that the committee members can havea common agenda to discuss and tocollaborate. In urban areas, the Maithricommittees are formed locality-wise orcolony-wise and in rural areas they areformed village-wise. Traffic MaithriCommittees are also formed area wise.

SIZE AND COMPOSITION

Maithri Committees normally

consist of about 50 members of the localcommunity. The members are carefullyselected by the SHOs of the policestations. The strength varies marginallydepending upon the size of the areacovered. The composition of eachMaithri committee will be generally asfollows:

1) Senior Citizens 05%

2) Women 15%

3) Youth 40%

3) Members of SC/ST 15%

4) Minorities 05%

5) Professionals and others 20%

Such a composition is aimed atgiving due representation to all thesections of the society so that theirspecial problems and views are takeninto account in formulating the localMaithri programmes.

Traffic Maithri committees consistof various stake holders like local shopkeepers, hoteliers, cinema hall owners,school and college principals, auto or taxidrivers, members of other departmentslike R&B, Electricity, Water Works,Municipal administration, etc., who areaffected by the traffic problems in thatarea.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MAITHRIMEMBERS

Maithri members are chosen

with great care, after verifying theirantecedents and their usefulness. It isnormally ensured that every member ofMaithri is:

1) A respectable member of thelocal community not involvedin any criminal activity directlyor indirectly.

2) A person not involved in anypolitical or social controversy,and

3) A person willing to voluntarilytake up the cause of thecommunity.

Maithri Meetings:

Maithri Meetings are held in thevillages in the rural areas and localitiesor colonies in urban areas, where MaithriCommittees have been set up so that themembers can attend the meetingswithout much inconvenience. Efforts aremade to ensure that every MaithriCommittee meets at least once a month.

More meetings are held when there areseveral issues to be solved. A convenientdate and time is fixed well in advance,after consulting Maithri Committee, sothat most of the members are enabled toattend the meeting. Apart from Maithrimembers, local people who have a stakein any issue are also allowed to attendthe meeting.

ROLE OF VARIOUS POLICEOFFICERS

Unit Officers of the local police

are responsible for organising andmonitoring Maithri in their jurisdiction.Station House Officers are responsiblefor setting up the Maithri committees atthe local level, after verifying thesuitability of the members. They organisevarious activities in collaboration with theMaithri Committees and other localagencies - both public and private.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector(ASI) or a Head Constable or a Constableacts as facilitator for each MaithriCommittee. He keeps in constant touchwith the Maithri members, attend to day-to-day matters relating to Maithri,organise Maithri meetings and work inthe field to implement the decisions ofthe Maithri.

Al1 the supervisory officers likeInspectors, Sub-divisional PoliceOfficers, Addl. Superintendents ofPolice, Dy.Commissioners of Police, etc.,constantly guide and empower the SHOsand co-ordinate with other governmentaland non-governmental agencies formaking Maithri Committees worksuccessfully.

Maithri has become a greatsuccess in the State. Within 2 ½ years oflaunching the programme as many as7206 Maithri Committees with 281580members were formed all over the State,covering about 28% of habitations.District-wise Maithri Committees and thesocio-economic composition of Maithrimembers as on 30/9/2002 is as follows:

Academy Journal 44

Several crimes have beenprevented and lot of crimes have beendetected on account of this programmein the State. Many community outreachprogrammes relating to eradication ofsuperstitions, traffic awareness, womenprotection, street children, maritaldisputes, AIDS awareness, faction crime,etc., have been organised with the helpof Maithri Committees. Maithri members

have played an important role inmanaging crowds during major festivalsand maintaining communal harmony inseveral parts of the State. There isperceptible change in the attitude of thepolice towards the people and theirproblems and towards human rights,after launching the programme. Publicperception of the police is alsoundergoing change for the better.

There is increasing public demandfor Maithri and the entire state is likelyto be covered under this programme inthe next few years.

* * *

S . N O U n i t N o o f N o. o f Yo u t h P r o f e s s - W o m e n S C / S T S e n i o r M i n o r i t i e s M i s c e l l a - To t a lP S M a i t h r i i o n a l s Citizens neous Committees Freedom such as

Fighters Trade Unions

1 Srikakulam 42 224 3197 700 1653 745 786 207 1499 8787

2 Vizianagaram 42 190 2955 681 1344 1003 1209 278 760 8230

3 Visakhapatnam 46 126 1245 356 448 474 303 172 411 3409

4 E.Godavari 73 381 3633 1293 1625 1894 1071 392 976 10884

5 W.Godavari ~, 57 337 4572 1758 1497 1699 1343 556 1349 12774

6 Krishna 47 265 5014 1700 1792 1277 1102 596 1090 12571

7 Guntur 77 462 4523 1031 2510 2567 2199 1589 3471 17890

8 Prakasam 62 372 3380 1188 1520 1590 1760 560 1140 11138

9 Nellore 63 280 4561 1376 1745 1780 1700 935 1600 13705

10 Chittoor 77 562 5940 1476 4362 2641 3188 2407 2800 22814

11 Cuddapah 60 273 4167 1141 1557 1633 1646 1197 2296 13637

12 Anantapur 76 280 4800 1555 2259 1549 1726 835 1135 13859

13 Kurnool 77 414 3131 1189 1945 1639 1468 1343 1729 12444

14 Mahabubnagar 71 436 4535 998 962 1257 1190 1105 717 10764

15 Nalgonda 66 468 6352 2116 3395 2078 1635 1073 1911 18560

16 Ranaa Reddv 51 214 1514 487 1476 734 428 751 5144. 10534

17 Medak 54 494 7206 945 2054 2958 2081 1140 1760 18144

18 Nizamabad 42 239 3629 352 1077 1236 1484 970 3677 12425

19 Adilabad 69 150 1352 177 622 1127 630 316 436 4660

20 Karimnagar 65 270 3872 1618 2207 1764 1078 459 1207 12205

21 Warangal 59 214 3396 936 1940 1283 1050 521 1547 10673

22 Khammam 60 268 3734 971 2432 2058 1288 579 1048 12110

23 Visakhapatnam 12 41 389 188 162 144 81 33 230 1227

24 Vijayawada 1 58 603 200 305 249 302 174 700 2533

25 Hyderabad 79 188 1374 383 469 458 473 1056 1354 5567

Total 1445 7206 89074 24815 41358 35837 31229 419244 39987 28154

Your imperfections are what make you beautifulYour imperfections are what make you beautifulYour imperfections are what make you beautifulYour imperfections are what make you beautifulYour imperfections are what make you beautiful

45 July - Dec 2002

NON-LETHAL WEAPONS IN MOB CONTROL

SN P r a d h a n

All over the world, the police

have had to reckon with an ominoustrend in riot control operations. It isfound that more and more crowds aregathering for more and more reasons witha greater frequency than ever before.Along with increased numbers andfrequency, the police also have tocontend today with a greater level ofviolence from the crowds. The violencemanifests increasingly in the use ofweapons of offence including firearmsalong with the traditional ‘weaponry’ -acid bottles and Molotov cocktails. Inmany situations, anti-social elementsfrom the crowds have been known tothrow bombs at the police. Today it is atruism to say that every time the policegear up for a riot control operation thepossibility of violence and casualtieslooms large. In the face of this disturbingtrend, the police are also burdened with

an increasing social and political non-acceptability of any destruction ordamage to life and property. Indeed, thegovernments of the day are increasinglysensitive to any public order situationswhere there is grievous damage tohuman life or any public property.Naturally this becomes a very difficultsituation for the police. The bottom lineseems to be control the riot but alsoensure minimal or no damage to lifeand property.

This seems to be an apparentlydichotomous trend wherein the policeis arguably faced with a lose-losesituation. In other words, the police issometimes confronted with situationswhere, to paraphrase from a R.K.Laxmancartoon punch line “if (the police) donot use force, they are accused ofinaction... if they use force there arecomplaints of high-handedness.”

Academy Journal 46

The use of non-lethal weaponsin riot control has often been toutedas the way out of such situations asdescribed above. However, the know-how and general understanding of therange and the utility of the non-lethalweapons in riot control still remains ata less than satisfactory level. Evensenior professionals in the policeforces are not aware of the varied usesof non-lethal weaponry and theirrelevance to modern policing needs.Indeed most police forces around theworld, including the modernizedcountries, are not actually using thewhole range of non-lethal weaponry.In fact, most of the advances in non-lethal weaponry are confined toresearch experiments and a fewdemonstrations. Beyond this, notmuch regular use can be found.However, in India, while the non-lethalweapon armoury is not wanting inmatching some of the advances in thistechnology around the world, the truthremains that wide scale use of non-lethal weaponry like rubber bullets,tear gas, water cannon etc., (which areentry level non-lethal weapons) in riotcontrol is still not a regular feature.Moreover, there is hardly any seriousresearch and development (R&D)backup, except in the area of tear gasmunitions. If the armed forces of thecountry are doing any research in thisarea, it is not very well known in policecircles as to whether there is anysignificant technology transfer beingeffected. The upshot of all this is thatthe police forces of the country faceserious riot situations almost on adaily basis but not much seriousthought has gone into developing anon-lethal weapon backup down tothe unitary level of policeadministration, i.e., the districts, thesub-divisions and the thanas. It canbe hoped that, with greater emphasisbeing laid on modernization of thepolice force in recent years, this willget due emphasis sooner than later.

UNDERSTANDING NON-LETHALWEAPONS TECHNOLOGY

Major General Dr. Yitzhak Ben-

Israel, who heads the Authority forWeapon Research and Development(AWRD) of the IDF of Israel, has givenone of the best definitions of non-lethalweapons. He defined non-lethal weaponsin the following terms, “Weaponsintended to impair the movement ofindividuals without killing them andwithout causing them irreparable, long-term damage. The purpose of suchweapons... is to temporarily disable, toconfuse, to halt any further movement,to neutralize, to disperse crowds, toprevent the entry of unauthorizedindividuals and vehicles and to deter.”Some scholars have opined that ‘non-lethal’ is actually a misnomer. A moredefinitive and exact term would be ‘less-than-lethal.’ The rationale oftenprovided for this is that every non-lethalweapon has the potential of becominglethal under certain conditions. Forexample, even a rubber bullet, if firedfrom within a certain range and at acertain spot on the human body, maycause fatal injury. Therefore the termless-than-lethal may be more apt todescribe such weaponry. Jon B. Beckerand Charles “Sid” Heal have clarified thislucidly by underlining that non-lethaltechnologies may have “ many differentnames (e.g., non-lethal, limited effects,less-than-lethal, soft-kill, pre-lethal, etc.)For clarity and simplicity, the term less-lethal is the more accurate term as manyof the other terms imply either that theweapons are not capable of killing (whichis not true in some cases) or that theweapons are intended to kill in a more‘humane’ fashion.”

The need to develop non-lethalweapons technology arises directly fromthe imperative political and social needto defuse mob situations with little or nodamage to the lives of the citizens and

the valuable public property. In a riotsituation, the police confronts a situation,per se, and not the enemy. In all suchscenarios the confrontation has to be‘managed’ in such a way that thesituation does not get out of control. Inthe backdrop of democracy and the rightto assemble and even agitate, there isbut a thin line between a peacefulsituation and a violent situation (read apeaceful crowd and a violent mob). Thepolice is strapped with the responsibilityof :-

(a) De-escalating the situationthrough early intervention.(‘ De-escalate early’)

(b) Making individual members ofthe mob accountable, before itbecomes too late to evenidentify and isolate suchindividuals. (‘Make itpersonal’).

(c) Neutralising actions of anyover-zealous or violent agitator.(‘Put out the match in additionto the fire’)

(d) Responding to the mob inproportion with the threat beingpresented (‘Don’t drive tackswith a sledgehammer’), and

(e) (Since the actions of apeacekeeping force can act asa catalyst themselves) takingcare and ensuring that theactions of peacekeepersthemselves do not exacerbatethe situation. (‘Don’t put out afire with gasoline’)*

In the above tasks, non-lethal orless-than-lethal weapons can be a greataid. Non-lethal weapons, whenappropriately used, can be of great helpin literally stopping mobs ‘in their tracks.’The US Marine Corp is at the forefrontin the use of non-lethal weapons inmilitary operations.

* (Extracted from Non-lethal Weapons and Peacekeeping Riot Control by Jon B. Becker and Charles “Sid” Heal)

47 July - Dec 2002

The United States and the GreatBritain have invested greatly in non-lethal weapon technology to aid theirarmies as well as the police. However, inboth these countries, as well as otherEuropean countries, and countries likeIsrael, non-lethal weapons technologyis still, in the main, the preserve of theMilitary.

INNOVATIONS IN NON-LETHALWEAPONS TECHNOLOGY

Great advances and innovations

have been made in non-lethal weaponstechnology, especially for the use ofmilitary outfits, in the advancedcountries of the world. It has beenknown that US soldiers are given asintensive training in use of non-lethalweaponry as they are to handle lethalweapons. Indeed, the US soldiers areprovided with ‘non-lethal capabilitysets.’ These are pre-packaged metalcontainers that include 57 types of itemsranging from non-lethal weapons,munitions and training gear, toprotective equipment - such as helmets,face-shields and body armour. Indeed,such convergence and complimentaryuse of available technology is the needthe hour. Police forces around the worldmust take a cue from this and adaptthemselves without any further loss oftime.

Some of the innovations made inthe non-lethal weapons technology areas follows:

(a) Kinetic impact devices likebeanbags and sockbagsrounds fired from shotguns.

(b) Plastic pellets (with reinforcedplastic).

(c) Instant Banana Peel: It is aslippery surface coating firstused for riot control in 1972 todeny either foot or vehiculartravel.

(d) Flash/bang grenade: It isintended to scare people awayand not incapacitate them. Theidea is for non-combatants toleave the scene. It can causetemporary vision impairmentand hearing loss.

(e) Concussion grenades: Theyexplode at 160 decibels andcause temporary deafness.

(f) Acoustic dazzler grenade: Itexplodes at 145-155 decibelsand lasts for up to 45 seconds.It is considered moredisorienting than theconcussion grenade.

(g) Aero-rubber ring: Fired from agrenade launcher, it is a rubberbaton round. This hard rubberprojectile is effective at 40-50meters. It was designed forcrowd control after the KentState shootings in 1970.

(h) Oleoresin capsicum: It is betterknown as pepper-balls and isfired by a CO2 gas cartridge. Ithas the same effect as pepperspray but is delivered inpowder form from a greaterdistance.

(i) Sponge grenade: Fired from a40mm grenade launcher, thisdevice is either a metal orplastic mass covered in frontwith a soft sponge-typesurface. It is a blunt-traumainstrument that is designed tostun. Currently the MarineCorps use it.

j) Rubber baton: A hard rubberprojectile that resembles astopper or a plug more than anactual baton, is used againstmassed crowds. The SouthAfricans used to fire them frommachine guns. They calledthem ‘sausages.’ The SouthAfrican version was designedto tumble for greater impact.*

(k) Taser TM Stunguns: It is aflashlight sized device thatuses gunpowder to propelbarbed, dart, shaped electrodesto the subject’s body. Highvoltage/low amperage pulsedshocks immobilize the subject(specifically 50,000 volt pulsesat two million of an amp aredelivered 12-14 times persecond).

(l) Sting rag: Developed by USmilitary is a pliable ring of softrubber about 2 1/2 inches incircumference, fired from alauncher on the end of an M/6rifle-

CONCLUSIONS

Despite advance in non-lethalweapon technology as outlined above,one must understand that it is not thepanacea for all riot control situations. Itshould be understood that low-lethalitytechnologies are simply force multipliersand cannot on their own solve problems.It is important to understand that “less-lethal weapons are simply tools whichcan be utilized to assist in solving aproblem. In the same way that a hammercannot build a house without a skilledcarpenter, the most advanced less-lethalweapons in the world cannot bythemselves carry the burden for aneffective peacekeeping operation.Instead, they are wholly dependant uponthe riot control tactics of peacekeepingforces for their effectiveness. As a result,if peacekeeping forces do notunderstand the dynamics of riot control,less-lethal weapons will be ineffectiveand may even make the situation worse.It is fundamental that although soundtactics can often overcome the problemscreated by bad equipment, the converseis not true! Effective tools are not asubstitute for sound tactics. Thus, less-lethal weapons must be kept in properperspective; they are simply tools to beemployed in concert with effective riot

* (Extracted from Feature Article, “Peace Keeping Duties Bolster Demand for Kinder Weapons” National DefenceIndustrial Association Journal written by Stephen Willingham - June 2000).

Academy Journal 48

control tactics.” (from Non-lethalWeapons and Peacekeeping RiotControl by Jon B. Becker and Charles“Sid” Heal).

It cannot be gainsaid that in mostsituations which warrant use of non-lethal weapons, a lethal backup is anabsolute must. The point to be not missedis that any democracy which by its verynature champions the rights of theindividual and fundamental rights ofexpression and assembly will alwaysthrow up situations of potentially violent

assemblage. With the revolution of risingexpectations the ‘protest virus’ (a termcoined by Peter Evans) is bound to afflictcitizens round the world. The police willneed to face these situations and managethe confrontations without much loss tolife and property. To put the situation inright perspective, the police shouldalways try the non-lethal alternativebefore taking resort to lethal weapons.But to exercise this very choice, it isabsolutely essential that the police haveaccess to a vast array of non-lethalweaponry with varying degree of

potency as well as capability ofcountering crowd violence.Unfortunately, as the situation standstoday, only in the developed countriesare the alternatives readily available tothe police. In India, seriousconsideration has to be given to thisaspect of policing to improve our recordin successful handling of riot situationsin the interest of democracy, humanrights and police efficiency.

* * *

PRIME MINISTER’S SILVER CUP ESSAY COMPETITION – 2003

The Prime Minister’s Silver Cup Essay Competition is conducted every year by the Academy. All Police Officers are welcome to send their essays for thecompetition. The rules and regulations in this regard are as follows:-

1. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy will hold an All India Annual Essay Competition for the award of the Prime Minister’s Silver Cup.

2. The Prime Minister’s Silver Cup shall be awarded for the best essay. The topic for the essay for the year 2003 shall be:-

“THE MYTHS AND REALITIES OF CORRUPTION IN INDIAN POLICE AND COPING MECHANISMS TO COUNTER THEM”

3. The competition shall be held annually and shall be open to all serving police officers/men of India including those serving in Central Police Organizations inIndia and abroad, provided that an officer who has wont he first prize for two successive years shall be debarred from taking part in the competition for a periodof three years at a stretch following the year in which the first prize was annexed by him for the second time.

4. The Committee of the competition shall consist of the following members to be invited by the Director of S.V.P. National Police Academy: (a) An eminent jurist(b) an eminent educationist (c) an eminent journalist/public man (d) one serving Inspector General of Police (e) a nominee of the Prime Minister’s Office, and(f) The Director, SVP National Police Academy, Hyderabad (Convenor).

5. Any question as to the eligibility of any competitor shall be determined by the Committee of the competition.

6. a. Essays must be submitted in English.b. Essays must be the original workc. Essays must not be more than 5000 words in length, must be type-written(with double spacing) on only one side of the paper with 1.5 inches margin space on the left hand side and 7 copies must be submitted for the competition. d.The pages must be serially numbered and securely stapled or clipped together. e. Where a reference is made to any published work, the title and the pagenumber must be quoted in a footnote.

7. Essays must be submitted by registered post or recorded delivery. A letter should accompany every essay. This letter must contain details about thecompetitor’s name, rank and the official address of the Force to which he belongs and an endorsement about his age with reference to his service record.

8. The Committee reserves the rights to disqualify any entry, which fails to conform to these rules. If any default comes to the notice of the committee after a prizehas been awarded, the committee also reserves the rights to take such action against the defaulter as it may deem fit.

9. The essays will be submitted to the Director General of Police/Head of Central Police Organization concerned. After due screening at the State/Central PoliceOrganization level, the Director General of Police/Head of the Central Police Organization will forward not more than three essays to the Convener of theCommittee of the competition for final selection of the best essay.

10. The decision of the committee shall be final and no appeal lie against its decision, the award shall be made public in such manner as the committee shall thinkfit. Any essays submitted for the competition and adjudged of sufficient merit and the prize-winning essay may be published by the Director of the SardarVallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy and the copy right for such published essays shall vest in the Director. The essays not accepted will not bereturned to the competitors.

11. Besides the Silver Cup, which will be returned to the S.V.P. National Police Academy, the Officer adjudged to have written the best essay will be given aprize money of Rs.10,000/- and a replica of the Silver Cup. The essays considered next in order of merit will be awarded Rs.6000/- and Rs.4000/-respectively, along with medals and certificates of distinction. The Cup and the First Prize will be awarded on the occasion of the Annual Passing Out Paradeat the Academy.

12. The essays shall be forwarded through the Director General of Police/Head of Central Police Organizations concerned and addressed to the Director, SVPNational Police Academy, Hyderabad –500 052 so as to reach him on or before 30th September, 2003.

49 Jan - June 2002

COMPUTER VIRUSES ANDDIGITAL ECOSYSTEM

Muk te s h C h a n d e r

INTRODUCTION

Biological viruses have been

in existence in the living world sinceits beginning but their discovery hasoccurred only in the last centurywith the invention of sophisticatedmicroscopes. Currently mankind isfighting a battle with latest virus ofHIV and no cure seems to be in sight.

When computers wereinvented and PCs came in toexistence, no body had imaginedtha t the v i ruses s imi la r to thebiological viruses could exist in thecyber world and they would almostexac t ly behave l ike the l iv ingviruses. Till 1983, the term ‘computerv i rus ’ was used on ly in somescience fiction. David Garrold firstused this term in his fiction stories.

Fred Cohen, a student of Universityof Southern California first timedemons t ra ted tha t smal lprogrammes can be written whichcan ‘ in fec t ’ and modi fy o thercomputer programmes in such a waythat the ‘infected’ program carriesa copy or evolved copy of the‘virus’. Fred Cohen wrote firstcomputer virus as a part of hisdoctoral and also presented it in aseminar.

DEFINITION

Computer viruses are small

programmes usually of about 1-2 KBthat are capable of multiplying andmodifying themselves and are ableto propagate through various meansjust like living viruses in biologicalworld.

Academy Journal 50

According to S-43 (h) (iii) ofInformation Technology Act, 2000,computer virus means any computerinstruction, information, data orprogramme that destroys, damages,degrades or adversely affects theperformance of a computer resource orattaches itself to another computerresource and operates when aprogramme, data or instruction isexecuted or some other event takesplace in that computer resource.

In order to understand thecomputer viruses, their comparison withbiological counterpart is of greatassistance. I would use this analogy todescribe the computer viruses in detailin the following paragraphs.

LIFE CYCLE

Computer viruses are born whenthey are written by humans. They spreadwhen a healthy computer comes in‘contact’ with an ‘infected’ computer orprogramme or data. This could bethrough contaminated floppies or CDsjust like transmission of sexual diseasesor by exchange of mail, data, etc.,through internet. After the ‘infection’ orcontamination, a computer virus mayremain in a dormant stage and duringthis incubation period it may continueto infect other machines, data orprogrammes without showing anysymptoms of unhealthiness.

In its active stage, a computervirus may affect the performance of amachine in several ways and the varioussymptoms shown are similar to that of adiseased person. The computerprogrammes may take longer time toperform a particular task. The diskactivity and input/output activity mayincrease, system may hang or crashfrequently. Files are either corrupted orcompletely disappear. Hard disk getsformatted automatically wiping outeverything it contains. There could bebad sectors in the hard disk or frequentfile reading errors. The file size of some

files may increase due to lodging ofvirus in them. There could be unusualsounds or messages on the screen. Inthe worst scenario, the computer maynot boot by itself. Under all thesesituations, performance of a computermay get affected in one of way or theother.

Having noticed the presence of avirus in a computer, it is necessary toidentify, with what kind of virus thecomputer is infected and try to cure thesystem and to recover the infectedprogram or file, which may not bepossible always. I would discuss thedetails of this in subsequent paragraphsof this article.

The computer viruses aredesigned to multiply and spread. Someof the computer viruses have beenfound to multiply at exponential rate andhave the capability of infectingthousands of computers within hours.There is a need to develop vaccines forviruses as soon as they are noticed.Once a cure for a virus is developed byantivirus specialist, it has to beincorporated into antivirus programmesand other software, so that unaffectedsystems can be immunized.

During propagation, a computervirus may mutate to different forms also,to avoid detection.

Computer viruses form only a partof a large number of other mischievousprogrammes which can be collectivelycalled malicious codes or programmes.There are malicious codes like TrojanHorses, bacteria and worms. Virusesdiffer from most of them as they possesthe quality of replication but need a hostprogramme to do so.

CATEGORISATION OF VIRUSES

Based on various criteria,

computer viruses can be classified inseveral ways. Some of them arediscussed below.

1) Boot Sector Virus & File Virus:Boot sector is that part of the computerhard disk memory where programme toload operating system resides. Every timea computer is started, the bootingprogramme is executed and if a virusexists there, it will activate every timewhen computer starts. Such viruses arevery effective as removing its copy fromany other part of the computer will notremove it. On the other hand, file sectorvirus only affects programmes or filesand normally deletion of infected fileremoves the virus also. About 5% oftotal viruses found are boot sectorviruses and 85% are file infectors.Bimodal viruses are capable of infectingboth boot records and files.

2) Over-writing and AppendingViruses: The virus code is approximately1-2 KB in length. The virus writes itselfnormally in the beginning of the hostprogramme without affecting the normalfunctioning of programme. If it appendsitself to the host programme, it is calledappending virus and when the hostprogramme starts, virus code is executedfirst. The over-writing virus writes itscode over the host code and therebynormally the host programme is unableto run properly.

3) Based on where the virus storesitself, it can be called memory residentor non memory resident virus.

4) Stealth Virus: A virus which concealsitself is called stealth virus. Most of theviruses in existence today are stealthviruses.

5) Polymorphic virus (Mutating virus):A virus which modifies its codesperiodically or every time it infects otherprogramme to avoid its detection iscalled a mutating or polymorphic virus.This gives rise to several strains of aparticular virus.

6) Macro Virus: Documents made onrecent word processors, spreadsheets

51 Jan - June 2002

and datbases management softwarehave the capability of executingautomatic script-based sequence ofevents, every time the file is opened.These scripts or sequence of codes arecalled macros. A virus can be writtenusing such scripts or macros. Theseviruses spread faster as most of thesefiles of word processors or DBMS areshared frequently. ‘Concept’ was thefirst macro virus written in MS Wordmacro in 1995 and is the most prevalentvirus.

8) Encrypted Virus: A virus, which usesencryption technology to preventdetection, is called encrypted virus. Thecode of an encrypted virus begins withdecryption algorithm and is followed byencrypted code of the remaining virus.Each time it infects other programmes, itis automatically encoded by a differentkey and therefore its code is never thesame and it is able to fool AntivirusSoftware.

9) Web site Virus: As soon as a webpage is loaded in a computer, a codewritten in one of the languages likeHTML is executed. A virus code can bewritten in JAVA Script embedded inHTML code which executes, when theweb page is visited. Such scripts arecapable of making several changes in thehost machine, including deletion of files.Such viruses are called website viruses.

HISTORY OF COMPUTER VIRUS

‘Brain’ was the first virus which

spread in the wild in 1987 and was writtenin MS DOS by some Pakistani. It was aboot sector virus and infected only 360K floppy disks. ‘Jerusalem’ was the firstfile infector virus. Since then, we haveseen viruses like Raindrop, Yankeedoodle, PC stoned, Michael Angelo, etc.Melissa virus which spread in March, 99was written in Word macro. It causeddamage to the tune of about $80 millionto computers world wide. ‘I Love You’virus was written in Visual Basic scriptand it caused loss of about $15 billion

world wide. The virus originated fromPhilippines. Some other viruses recentlyactive are Code Red (July 2001), Goner(Dec 2001).

DAMAGE CAUSED BY VIRUS

A large number of viruses are

harmless but there are thousands ofviruses which have caused damage tomillions of computers, PCs and networksallover the world.

As per a survey conducted byNational Computer Security Associationof USA in 2001, out of the companieswhose computers were affected byviruses, 62% reported loss ofproductivity, 41% reported lockup orinterference, 38% reported corruption offiles and 30% reported loss of data. Withthe increase in the number of viruses inthe wild, every computer is vulnerableto damage caused by viruses.

DETECTION OF VIRUS

Normally, the presence of a virus

is revealed by tell tale symptoms. Butmany a time it is not possible to detectthis without a detection software.

There are two kinds of AntivirusTechnologies:

i) Generic/Heuristic Virus Detection:These antivirus programmes are notvirus specific and work on the principlethat presence of virus alters memory andmodifies certain crucial files in specificmanner. In a way they watch for effectsof viruses rather than the virus itself. Soin such generic way they are capable ofdetecting even unknown or futureviruses. Their operation is simple and fastbut can also give false positive errorshowing presence of a virus eventhough no virus is present.

ii) Scanning Antivirus Detector: Theywork on the principle that for every virusit is possible to identify a string of 10-30bytes in its code which is unique to the

virus. This unique string is called ‘VirusSignature or Definition’ and whilescanning for viruses in various files andmemory, this virus signature is searched.In this kind of detection, the possibilityof false alarm is very less but thedisadvantage is that they can detectonly those viruses, whose virussignatures or definitions are in itsdatabase. For previously unknownviruses false negative error would occur.Such antivirus programmes need periodicupdation to cope up with new viruseswhich are being generated every day bydozens. Extracting a virus signature is adifficult and laborious process but nowautomatic software techniques are alsoavailable. Even though while searchingfor a virus signature in a suspectedsystem, very efficient pattern matchingalgorithms are used, still they are veryslow as they have to scan the entirememory and this may take severalminutes.

Once a file containing a virus isdetected, the Antivirus Software tries todelete the viral code from the infectedfile or from memory. If it is not possibleto delete the code, the file is quarantinedso that it is not able to infect other filesand propagate further. Alternatively, theinfected file can be replaced by a newcopy of the programme.

Some of the famous AntivirusVaccines are Norton, Mecaffe, PC Cillin,Dr. Solomon, etc. Many vaccines areavailable free of cost to home users andthere are many online sites which canscan your PC for presence of virus.

DIGITAL IMMUNE SYSTEM

Research is being carried out at

present to make Digital Immune Systemsby many computer companies includingIBM. In biological world, a living creaturehas the inbuilt capability of fighting anyoutside or foreign body by creatingantibodies. Once such immunity isdeveloped any subsequent exposures tovirus is controlled by these antibodies.

Academy Journal 52

In a Digital Ecosystem, there couldbe created what would be called DigitalImmune system. In such a system of interconnected computer, each computerwould monitor the presence of computervirus by a generic virus detecting system.Once a suspected virus is detected, acopy of infected file would be sent bythe computer to a Central Virus AnalysisLaboratory, which is a sophisticatedsystem capable of analyzing the viralcode by luring it to infect decoyprogrammes under controlledconditions. After analysis, the viralsignature and its cure is extractedautomatically and the same is being sentto each computer in the network,including the infected computer. Theinfected computer is secured of theinfection and in this way all thecomputers in the network becomeimmune from the subsequent attack ofthe virus.

WHAT LIES IN FUTURE?

Whether we like it or not, viruses

and other malicious codes are likely tostay and evolve with the computertechnology. For various reasons, viruswriters would keep on writing better andmore deadly viruses. Efforts are alsobeing made by various people to write‘Flash Worm’ which would be able topropagate at lightening speed andcripple millions of computers world widein a matter of several minutes. There is asaying in army that “Do not send a manwhere you can send a bullet”. The samecan be modified in a cyber war context

as “Do not send a bullet where you cansend a byte”. Computer viruses can bedeadly tools in the hands of internationalterrorists like Osama Bin Laden, whoseorganization Al-Queda is known to beusing strong encryption, steganographyand internet technologies to plan andorganise terrorist acts. A day is not faroff when such terrorist attacks would beexecuted in the cyber space using whatcan be called Digital Inter ContinentalBallistic Missiles in the shape of logicbombs, computer viruses and worms.Millions of computers and networks maycollapse just like World Trade Center’stwin towers wiping billions of computerfiles and data and crippling the entireworld. Cyber terrorism is not a myth andcan be a, not so distant, reality.

PRECAUTION TO BE TAKEN

The old saying “Prevention isbetter than cure” applies to the cyberspace also. Simple precautions whichmust be taken are:

i) Always scan your system,floppies & CD., incoming andoutgoing e-mail with goodlatest Antivirus Programme.

ii) Do not open any e-mailattachment unless you are sureof its origin.

iii) Update virus definitions, virussignatures and programmes ofyour Antivirus Software.

iv) Do not visit suspicious sites orbulletin boards.

v) Do not download fromunreliable sites.

vi) Disable automatic execution ofMacros, Java Scripts andActive-X controls.

vii) Make some Antivirus Tool Kitto enable you to boot yoursystem from floppy in case oftrouble.

viii) Backup your data regularly.

ix) Do not use pirated software andfreebies.

x) Stay calm and note down whatis happening to your PC, whenit is struck by a virus. Shutdown and call for experts helpif you are not sure what to do.

xi) Regularly update yoursoftware so that the vulnerablebugs and holes are patched.

CONCLUSION

Although virus writing and itsrelease is a criminal act in many countries,unfortunately as per IT Act 2000 of India,it is only a civil offence. We have to learnto live with the viruses and guardourselves against them. Every computeruser must take precautions. It is yet onemore fight between the good guy andthe bad guy and has to be fought by allfor the benefit of cyber community andevery nation in this world must unite andcooperate in this endeavour.

* * *

It’s difficult for humansIt’s difficult for humansIt’s difficult for humansIt’s difficult for humansIt’s difficult for humansto accept the phenomenon of coincidence;to accept the phenomenon of coincidence;to accept the phenomenon of coincidence;to accept the phenomenon of coincidence;to accept the phenomenon of coincidence;

they always lookthey always lookthey always lookthey always lookthey always lookfor explanationsfor explanationsfor explanationsfor explanationsfor explanations

53 July - Dec 2002

RIMODAL

Varun Kapoor

INTRODUCTION

This paper deals with the

following issues which will ensurethat with the resources available withthe police in the state a more holisticand enhanced performance can beachieved. An attempt will also be madeto suggest reduction in the forcepresently available. These issues areas follows:

1. Analysis of the resourcesavailable and its presentutilization.

2. Enhancement of the output ofthe existing resources byupgrading the existingequipment.

3. Improvement in the output byintroduction of new gadgetryand equipment.

4. Behavioural and manpowermanagement training topersonnel to once againenhance performance.

5. Financial burden of suchupgradation, introductionand training.

6. New techniques ofcommunity policing and itsimpact on manpowerutilization.

Planning is defined by the Websterdictionary as the act or process ofcarrying out plans, specifically theestablishment of goals, policies andprocedures for a social or economic unit.Thus, considering a police organizationas both an economic and social unit, anattempt to plan a better, more organizedand efficient police force, can be made.

Academy Journal 54

The main ingredient of any policeoutfit is the manpower, whichconstitutes its force. Thus, forincreasing the effectivity and efficiencyof any police force, it is essential thatthe manpower utilization be properlyplanned. Often in the police unitsfunctioning in the state, total wastageof manpower is seen. Police personnelof all subordinate ranks are found doingall types of non-essential and routineduties. This can be curbed, as a resultof which manpower saving can beachieved. In addition, new equipmentand advanced gadgets can beintroduced to further enhance thecapabilities of the existing force.

The methodology adopted in thisstudy, rationalizing the inputs tomaximize the outputs is to consider thedistrict as a unit of study. The districtpolice is further subdivided into twocategories - the police station and theDistrict Reserve Police(DRP) line.Both these subdivisions will be studiedindividually to assess the presentutilization of manpower, the possibilityof up gradation of the existingequipment, the introduction of newgadgetry and the resultant possibilityof reduction in the present level ofmanpower.

The last aspect of this study, thefinancial burden of this addition of newgadgets is beyond the scope of thispaper. It can be only said that such anenhancement will definitely be an addedburden on the police budget. However,an attempt will be made to offset thisburden by recommending ways toreduce the personnel employed at thefield level.

PRESENT UTILIZATION OFFORCE:

This section will highlight the

present utilization of police personnelemployed in the district police. Once thathas been outlined, the ways to improvethis manpower management will bediscussed.

Dhar in Madhya Pradesh is a tribaldominated district. The total tribalpopulation of this district is nearly 54%.Thus, when the district police was setup after the States reorganization in 1956,the number of police personnel wasaccording to the need of those times. Theproblems and challenges facing thedistrict police have multiplied since then- the district is now the most communallysensitive district in the state. Pithampurindustrial area has come up after 1982and is the largest industrial area of Asia.Tribal crime has taken a serious upswing.All these have put severe demands onthe local police and a time has comewhen sheer numbers cannot solve theproblem. A high-tech, well-equipped andmodernized police force is the need ofthe hour.

Police Station utilization

The available force with the 21police stations in the district is givenbelow:

Inspectors : 08Sub-Inspectors : 27Asst Sub-Inspectors : 31Head Constables : 101Constables : 395

The present utilization of this forceis given below:

1. Police Station Incharge:Inspectors : 08Sub Inspectors. : 13

2. Head Constable Moharrir:Asst Sub-Inspectors: 01Head Constables : 20

3. Office Work:Head Constables: 02Constables: 36

4. Modus Operandi Bureau Work:Constables: 20

5. Judicial Court Work:Constables: 40

6. Sentry Duty:Constables: 09

7. Treasury/Bank guard duty:Head Constables : 09Constables : 38

8. Beat Incharge & Investigating Officers:

Sub-Inspectors : 14Asst Sub-Inspectors: 30Head Constables : 67

9. General Duty (Patrolling, producingprisoners before the courts, medicalexamination, dak duty, police stationduty, accompanying the SHO or IO, lawand order duty, serving summons, policeassistance booth duty, etc):

Patrolling (Const.) : 75Producing prisoners : 31Medical work : 15Dak duty : 29PS duty : 25With IO : 19Guard duty : 12Summon servicing : 14Total (Const) 220

10. Wireless Duty:Constables: 16

11. Attached:Gazzetted officers Office:Head Constables : 01Constables : 03Summons Cell:Head Constable : 01Constables : 06Others:Constables : 08

District Reserve Police linesutilization:

Total available force with the DRPline is as follows:

Inspectors : 01Sub-Inspectors : 04Asst Sub-Inspectors: 07Head Constables : 42Constables : 179Recruits : 31

1. Traffic police wing:Sub-Inspector: 01Head Constable: 02Constable: 15

2. Motor Transport Section:Head Constable: 03Constable: 17Recruits: 03

55 July - Dec 2002

3. Women Police:Asst Sub-Inspector: 01Head Constable : 03Constable: 10

4. Judicial Court Duty:Sub-Inspector : 01Head Constable : 01Constable : 10

5. SP office duty:Sub- Inspector: 01Head Constable : 04Constable : 10Recruits : 01

6. Ghat security:Asst Sub-Inspectors: 02Head Constables : 04Constables: 08

7. Gazzetted Officer duty:Head Constable : 01Constable: 02

8. Line duty:Head Constable : 02Constable: 05

9. Trade man duty:Constables : 07

10.Dak duty:Constable : 06

11. Constable Moharrir, Armourer & Cloth store:

Head Constable : 04Constable: 03

12. Welfare activities:Sub-Inspector : 01Head Constable : 01Constable : 04

13.Producing prisoners:Constables : 10

14. Wireless duty:Constables: 03

15. Control Room Duty:Sub-Inspector : 01Asst Sub-Inspector: 01Constable : 02

16.College guard duty:Head Constable: 01Constable: 02

17. Other duties, suspended & On leave:Sub-Inspector : 01Head Constable : 08Constable : 34Recruits : 09

Thus, from the above, we cangather the deployment and utilization ofthe police force in the district. In additionto the above, there exists certain othercategories of employees in the districtpolice. These are:

1. Ministerial staff: Total 19 members

2. District Crime Branch:Sub-Inspectors: 02Asst Sub-Inspectors: 02Head Constables : 03

3. District Special Branch:Inspectors : 01Sub-Inspectors : 01Asst Sub- Inspectors: 02Head Constables : 03Constables : 04

UPGRADING EXISTINGEQUIPMENT

The existing equipment available

with the local police is both outdated andineffective. It is in urgent need ofupgradation and improvement. If thisupgradation is carried out, it will not onlymake the police more effective andefficient but it will also help to reducethe manpower required for policing. Letus now analyze the equipment that needsto be upgraded, the equipment withwhich to upgrade, the resultant benefitsand saving in manpower, if any:

1. Arms and ammunition: The presentstandard of arms available with thedistrict police is appalling. Most of the.303 rifles are of World War-II vintage.The ammunition is also very old andoften found wanting when the situationarises. There are a few SLRs availablewith the district, but their numbers arenegligible. The hand-held weapons arebasically .38 bore revolvers and 9mmpistols. These are also quite old and havelost their accuracy and dependability.

The requirement is that all .303rifles be phased out. These should bereplaced with Self-Loading Rifles. Thehand-held weaponry also needs anoverhaul. The outdated .38 revolvers

and 9mm pistols should be replaced with9mm Uzi sub-machine pistols and 9mmGlock pistols. Glock Company produceshigh-class pistols with superior aimingtechnology and a superlight fiberglassbody.

To face law and order situations, itis not only essential to have the allimportant tear gas guns and canisters.Newer devices are required to meet thesituations, as the law and order problemshave become more acute and complex.The need of the hour is rubber bullets,shock batons, water canons and stunguns. These advanced devices for crowdcontrol are becoming an absolutenecessity.

If the above mentioned changesare brought about in the arms andammunition available with the districtpolice, the resultant police force will notonly be better equipped but it will alsobe a more confident police force. Thus,the use of sheer numbers can be curbedand quality rather than quantity wouldbe the order of the day.

RECOMMENDATIONa. Phasing out of .303 Rifles.

b. Replacement with SLRs.

c. Introduction of 9mm Uzisub-machine pistols.

d. Introduction of 9mm Glockpistols.

e. Introduction of rubber bullets.

f. Introduction of shock batons.

g. Introduction of water cannons.

h. Introduction of stun guns.

i. Introduction of aerosolirritants.

2. Riot Gear: These basic equipment ofthe district police is also outdated. It istime to replace the lathis with rubberbatons. These are easy to carry and use.They can be placed in special holsters inthe belt, as a result of which the handsbecome free. They are also provided withspecially desired handles, which ensure

.

Academy Journal 56

better grip and greater efficiency, whileusing the same. The cane bodyguardsshould be replaced with fiberglass oneswhich are easy to handle. The existinghelmets must give way to better-modeledand moulded plastic helmets. This willensure greater safety and ease of use.These changes will also ensure a better-equipped and motivated force. This willautomatically reduce the number ofpolice personnel required to perform lawand order and crowd control duties.

RECOMMENDATION

a. Introduction of rubber batons.

b. Introduction of fiberglassbodyguards.

c. Introduction of mouldedspecial plastic helmets.

3. Police mobility: One of the mostimportant factors in enhancing policeperformance is greater and efficientmeans of police mobility. This enhancedmobility ensures reduction in responsetime of the police. This reduction goes along way in winning the confidence ofthe public because a responsive policeis what the public demands all the time.The scale of the vehicles available to thepolice has been worked out as follows.Each police station should have its ownpolice vehicle. For city police stations,this vehicle should be a light vehicle,whereas for rural police stations it shouldbe a medium vehicle. Each police stationarea is divided into police beats. For largepolice stations, these beats are headed,by a SI/ASI whereas in smaller policestations the beat incharges are HeadConstables. Thus, for increasing policemobility and as a result enhancingefficiency, each beat incharge should beprovided with a motorcycle. This willensure that the beat incharge will reachthe scene of crime or scene of theincident in a short duration of time. Afterhe reaches the scene of crime, he canassess the situation and can call forbackup, if required. Thus, excessivedeployment of force can be avoided andunnecessary force movements can be

totally cut out. This will speed upresponse time and increase policeefficiency to a large extent.

RECOMMENDATIONa. All police stations to be

equipped with vehicles.

b. City police stations to havelight vehicles.

c. Rural police stations to havemedium vehicles.

d. All beat-in-charges to havemotorcycles.

4. Police Communication: Anotherimportant component of police work isthe quality and quantity ofcommunication equipment available withthe police force. Communication includesboth wireless communication andtelephony.

Presently, low band wirelessequipment is available with the districtpolice. This equipment is quite outdatedand even the spare parts are not readilyavailable in the market. High bandequipment is the one, which must beintroduced in a phased manner. Theadvantages of high band wirelesscommunication over the low band varietyare many. Thus, high band wirelessequipment should be introduced in thestate police. This equipment shouldpreferably be of the Motorola company.This is because the equipment ofMotorola is more reliable and durable(field tests have proved these facts inDhar district).

In addition to the change over fromlow band to high band equipment in thestate police, the availability of wirelessequipment should also be increased. Allpolice stations and outposts should beequipped with static wireless sets. Inaddition, all police mobiles should beequipped with static sets. All gazzettedpolice officers in the district and all non-gazzetted police officers above the rankof Sub-Inspectors should be equippedwith hand-held mobile sets. This kind of

networking will ensure that the officersand mobiles of police are in continuoustouch with the police station and thedistrict control room. Thus, greatereffectivity in police working can beachieved.

As far as telephone connectivityis concerned, all police stations shouldhave a telephone connection. Allgazzetted officers in the district shouldalso have separate telephoneconnections. It is said that in today’sworld, information is power. Proper andsufficient wireless equipment andtelephones ensure smooth flow ofinformation. A well-informed police forceis also an all-powerful police force.

RECOMMENDATIONa. Total switch-over from low

band to high band wirelessequipment.

b. All police stations to havestatic sets.

c. All police outposts to beequipped with static sets.

d. All police mobiles to have staticsets.

e. All officers above the rank ofSub-Inspectors to have walkie-talkies.

f. All police stations and outposts to have telephoneconnections.

g. All Gazzetted officers in thedistrict to have telephoneconnections.

INTRODUCTION OFNEW EQUIPMENT

In addition to the upgradation ofthe existing equipment, it is alsonecessary to introduce new, moresophisticated and more advancedequipment, for use by the district police.Introduction of these new gadgets willnot only increase efficiency, but will, inan oblique way, reduce the manpowerdemand of the local police. Let us analyzethe new and advanced gadgetry, whichcan be introduced in the district police.

57 July - Dec 2002

1. Advanced varieties ofFlashlights & other illuminationdevices: New and sophisticated varietiesof searchlights and flashlights areavailable in large numbers in the market.These are a must for improving thestandard of night patrolling and also forthe security of the police personnelthemselves. Presently, the police stationsare poorly equipped with flashlights.Some outdated battery-operated torchesare in use. However, with the changingtimes and the security environment,these torches are no longer useful andeffective. Advanced flashlights andsearchlights should be introduced in thedistrict police.

Flashlights made under the brandname of Dragonlight, were highlyeffective in tackling the menace ofterrorism in Punjab. Flashlights of othercompanies are also available in themarket. These flashlights arerechargeable and are provided withXenon bulbs. Their beams can befocused as either spot or floodlights.They are provide with both AC plug incharger and DC car charger as well aswith rechargeable Nickel-Cadmiumbatteries. Some of the leading flashlightmanufacturers, whose flashlights can beincorporated into the police force are -Maglite, Streamlight, Eveready, etc.

There is also a requirement of otheradvanced illumination devices for thepolice force. During night operations, thepolice force often locates criminals andother anti-social elements in the region.To spot them effectively, the policeneeds proper flashlights, as describedabove. However, taking advantage of thedarkness, often these criminals makegood their escape or even attack thepolice party and cause casualtiesamongst them. Thus, there is an urgentneed to have handgun and shotgunmounted lights for effective firing duringnighttime. These lights are classified asTactical Lights and they are mountedon top of the barrel of shotguns andrifles and under the barrel of handguns.

They provide adequate illumination toensure effective firing during the darkhours. As they are gun mounted, theyalso ensure that both the hands are freeto carry out the required tasks.

Another revolutionary concept inthe field of providing illumination tosecurity forces during night operationsis called the Sapphire light. This light isbright and reliable. The device can beclipped onto the belt. The light isproduced by a blue sapphire crystal,which produces a highly efficient, solid-state, non-deteriorating beam. Itproduces a soft illumination in 180degrees-viewing radius. It is visible forover one mile. It can be effectively usedfor signaling and providing indication topatrol parties, etc.

RECOMMENDATION

a. Providing advanced flashlightsat police station level.

b. Each beat be provided with aflashlight.

c. Providing tactical lights to allpolice stations.

d. Providing Sapphire lights to allpolice stations.

2. Night Vision Devices: The night visiondevices are based on the principle ofconverting light energy (photons) intoelectrical energy (electrons). This resultsin immense amplification of light and, asa result, night viewing is accomplishedwith ease. There are three generationsof NVD. The Generation-I NVD wasdeveloped in the 1960s. They lacked thesensitivity and light amplificationnecessary to see below a full moon. As aresult they were large and cumbersome,less reliable and relatively poor, low-lightimagers.

The development of the Micro-Channel Plate (MCP) led to the birth ofthe Generation-II NVD in the early 1970s.Higher electron gains are now possible

with smaller packaging. Theseperformance improvements madeobservations possible down to 1/4th of amoon. Generation-II may be the choicewhen there is higher levels of ambientlight.

Developed in the 1980s, theGeneration-III NVD, enables safenavigation in the darkest nights.Distinguished by its Gallium ArsenidePhotocathode, Generation-III isoptimized for sensitivity to the near infra-red light available from the night sky.Improved MCPs provide higherresolution and extended operational life.

These NVDs are a must for localpolice forces now. Often during nightpatrols, members of criminal gangs hidein the darkness and escape detection bypatrol parties. When such parties havepassed by, they carry out the crime onthe highways or towns/villages. Aclassical example of such criminals arethose who operate on the infamousMachliya ghat and other ghats in thedistrict. The members of these gangshide by the roadside and as soon as thepolice patrol party passes by, theycommit heinous crimes on the highwaysand villages/towns. Thus, it is essentialthat all police stations are equipped withat least Generation-II or Generation-IIINVDs. This will make police patrollingmore effective and the morale of thecriminal gangs will also fall considerably,giving the police an upper hand over allcriminals who operate in the area usingdarkness as their cover.

RECOMMENDATION

a. All police stations to be equippedwith at least one NVD.

3. Thermal Infrared System:These systems see heat, not light. Thusthey can detect humans hiding in thedarkness, that too behind some solidcover. These systems are a leap forwardover the Night Vision Devices. They canbe used to detect criminals hiding in thebushes and shrubs.

Academy Journal 58

Thus, their presence woulddefinitely enhance the performance of thepolice forces.

RECOMMENDATION

a. Each district to be providedwith at least one Thermal Infra-red System.

4. K-9 Unit: It means a Dog unit. Aproperly trained dog can perform manyfunctions and can prove an asset to anypolice unit or police setup. The K-9 caneffectively perform the followingfunctions:

• Tracker: K-9 can be used to trackscents of criminals after they haveperpetrated the crime and havefled and also to track down scenesof crime.

• Sniffers: K-9 can be used veryeffectively as Sniffers. The K-9s can be trained to sniff outexplosives, narcotics and arms.Thus they can prove to be a greatboon for the police force.

• Patrol: K-9 can also be used asreliable and efficient patrol dogs.This is another important activityof any police unit and a well-trained K-9 can greatly aid thepolice in enhancing theeffectivity of patrolling in theregion.

Thus, it is recommended thatwell trained K-9 be considered as aresource. Their presence will greatlyenhance the performance of the policestation staff. K-9 will share a lot of theburden of the police personnel and willinstill a sense of confidence amongstthe local public. Thus, it is worthconsidering the fact that each policestation be equipped with at least oneK-9, which is trained for being a trackeras well as a patrol dog. At policestations under whose jurisdictionscome important airports, railheads andbus stations, K-9 trained as snifferscan be deployed.

RECOMMENDATION

a. A K-9 unit consisting of oneK-9 and one handler to beprovided to each police station.

b. Larger police stations can havetwo K-9 units, with twohandlers. These will be trainedas sniffers, trackers and patroldogs.

5. Forensic science kits: There isonly one FSL unit in the district locatedat the district HQ. The present scenarioof crime trends indicate the occurrenceof a large number of complicated crimes.Thus there is a persistent and grater needof FSL experts at a number of scenes ofcrime. However, due to the paucity oftime available with them, they cannot goto all the crime scenes and as a resultvery important evidence cannot be liftedfrom such scenes. This not only effectsthe process of investigation but alsoadversely affects the prosecution and asa result, the conviction rate comes down.

The number of FSL experts cannotbe increased but each police station canbe equipped with proper and up-to-dateForensic Science kits. These kits shouldat least have the following basic forensicequipment:

• Photography camera

• Scales

• Binders

• Compasses

• Fingerprint lifting powders

• Fingerprint dusting brushes

• Drug testing kits (cripkits)

• Swabs to pick up traceevidences

• Forceps

• Plastic bags to store evidence

• Rubber gloves

• Scalpel

• Human blood testing kit

These and other basic instrumentsfor making an effective Forensic Science

kit should be assembled into a box andlabeled FS kit. This should be providedto each police station to increase theefficiency of the available staff to tacklecomplicated and challenging cases.

RECOMMENDATIONa. Providing one FS kit to all police

stations.

b. Providing proper and up-to-date Forensic training to asmany police station staffmembers as possible, using theFSL unit available at eachdistrict HQ. This will enablethem to effectively use theprovided FS kits and toimprove their standard ofinvestigation.

6. Mounted Police Unit: Horse is avery useful animal for a variety ofpolice purposes. Mounted police canbe used for effective patrolling andalso for efficient crowd control. Horsescan be used to patrol areas which areoff the main roads and they can gointo even bushes and forests. Theyare also very silent when movingthrough dense undergrowth. Thus, forpatrolling purposes, the horse patrolis one of the most effective, silent andefficient systems available. The horsecan also be trained to be sensitive tomovements, sounds or smells whichare not initially apparent to humansenses. It also enhances the searchcapabilities of the rider. The riders alsohave a vantage point, some 5-7 feetoff the ground, which expands theirvision in rural and back country as wellas in urban settings.

Similarly, for purposes for crowdcontrol too, mounted police is veryeffective. It can be said from experiencethat 8 horses can work in a crowd, whichwould normally require 100 policepersonnel (Orlando Police Horse Unit).The people have greater fear of a policeofficer on a horse but at the same time isless hostile towards such an officer. It istruly a winning combination.

59 July - Dec 2002

Thus, for reducing the number ofpolice personnel required in patrollingand law and order duties, each policestation should be equipped with a horseunit. This will vary depending upon thesize and location of the various policestations.

RECOMMENDATIONa. All C-class police stations

should have a unit of one horse.

b. All B-class police stationsshould have a unit of twohorses.

c. All A-class police stationsshould be given a posse of fourhorses.

7. Modernization of the Traffic police:The traffic police is an important wing ofthe district police. It performs thefunction, which directly brings the policeto come in contact with the citizens.Thus, the image of the police is made orbroken, depending largely upon thebehavior, attitude and performance of thetraffic police. Therefore, the role of thetraffic police is very important and is atthe cutting edge of all police work.

Today, the traffic police is usedfor mundane traffic direction and pointduties, whereas they should be usedmore scientifically and appropriately.There is an urgent need to introduce newinnovations, modern machines andgadgetry into traffic police work. Thiswill not only reduce the manpowerrequired but also at the same time makethe cops in white, more in tune with thedemands of the present. The high-techdevices, which can be introduced intothe traffic police wing are:

• Traffic signals

• Traffic directing LED

• Omniglow Lightsticks

• Premium traffic vests

• Loud hailers

• Reflecting traffic dividers andtraffic stops

• Traffic cones and barriers

• Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) atimportant traffic junctions

With the introduction of suchgadgetry and traffic aids, the traffic policewill become more efficient and capableof handling the ever-increasing trafficvolume. At the same time, the pressureon traffic manpower will reduce and arationalization of the same can bebrought about.

In addition to the above-describedaspects of traffic regulation, two otherimportant aspects are traffic engineeringand traffic education. As far as trafficengineering is concerned, the role ofpolice is limited. However, in the case oftraffic education, the efforts of the policerequire a boost. A small cell should beconstituted for this purpose. Theyshould be provided with a vehicle andTV sets, video players, tape recorders,vide cameras, etc., and be entrusted withthe job of scientifically carrying out thejob of traffic education. If the work oftraffic education is properly carried out,the work of regulation can reduceconsiderably.

RECOMMENDATIONa. Introduction of traffic signals,

even in small towns

b. Introduction of traffic aids

c. Introduction of moderngadgetry

d. Proper and greater efforts attraffic education with a small butwell equipped traffic educationunit

8. Alarm and Surveillance Systems:These are systems of the future. Theyhave to be incorporated in to the policeunits in the state, sooner or later. Thesesystems can be of the following types:

a. Closed Circuit TV systems(CCTV)

b. Access Control Systems

c. Intruder Alarm Systems

d. Asset Tracking & MonitoringSystems

e. Counter Surveillance Measures

All these types of systems are notrequired presently by the district police,but certain systems have become a must.Amongst them are CCTV systems,Access Control Systems and IntruderAlarm Systems.

These systems are used to protectresidential houses and complexes as wellas various business houses. Home,residential and commercial complexsecurity systems have the followingcomponents:

• Magnetic contacts: They forman electric circuit between adoor and a doorframe or awindow and a sill. When thedoor is opened, it breaks thecircuit and sounds the alarm.

• Motion detectors: Sound analarm if motion is detected.

• Wired window or door screens:The security system isactivated if the wire is cut orthe screen is removed.

• Panic buttons: Can be locatednext to beds or alongsidedoorways or wireless. They canbe manually activated if yoususpect an intruder or if anintruder tries to force entry .

• Closed circuit TV: A privatetelevision system that allowsyou to monitor one or moreinside or outside areas.

• Keypads: Also known as touchpads or remotes. These devicesallow you to turn on and off(arm and disarm) your system.It also displays your systemstatus.

• Wired Systems: Usesconcealed or exposed wiring toconnect the home securitysystems components.

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• Wireless System: Uses radiofrequency to connect systemcomponents.

• Other components: Glass breakdetectors and stress sensors.

The business security systems arean improvement over the above givensystems. They consist of the followingsystems by which they detect intrudersand control access:

• Burglar intrusion alarms: Theburglar intrusion alarm system isdesigned to detect unauthorizedintrusion into a building or anarea of a building. Most burglaralarms will sound an alarm at thesite and report to a central station.

• Fire alarms: Manual or automaticfire systems and sprinklersupervisory systems use acombination of sensory devicesto detect a fire at the earliestpoint. Selection of the proper typeand number of sensors is essentialto alert all the occupants of apremises and to notify the centralstation so that the fire departmentcan be dispatched.

• Carbon Monoxide gas alarms: Asignal from a Carbon Monoxidedetector is designed to indicatethat an unacceptable level ofCarbon Monoxide is present inthe room.

• Holdup, panic or emergency:These systems allow thecustomer to report an emergencylike an armed robbery or anambush. Most systems allow acustomer to follow robbers’instruction but also allow them topress a button to trip a switch tosound an alarm at the centralstation. Some systems will alsocause a video film to be taken ofthe robber(s).

• Access Control: This is a processto grant or deny a person accessto a specific area or object basedupon their possession of an item,

code or physical characteristic. Itmay as simple as a singlemechanical lock or as complicatedas an integrated systemcontrolling hundreds of doorsthat interface with the alarm andother systems.

• CCTV: It is a television systemthat transmits signals over aclosed circuit of electricalconductors, fiber-optic cable orwireless carriers. CCTV canovertly or covertly monitor aprocess or area from a remotelocation. CCTV systems can alsorecord or document a scene forlater viewing. Multiple locationscan be viewed by a single guardor monitor at a remote location.

• Energy management devices:These include certainsophisticated devices like lowtemperature monitors, powerfailure monitors, processmonitors, water or moisturesensors and watchman’sreporting systems.

These kinds of alarm systems canbe easily installed in large banks,treasuries and residential complexesand their display boards can be placedin the local police station. As a result,the manpower in the form of bankguards, treasury guards, collegeguards, etc., can be saved. When thealarm goes off, police party from thepolice station can rush to the spot andtake necessary action. These are somesophisticated systems and instead ofthe police department investing insuch systems, the management ofbanks, treasuries, colleges and all suchinstitutions which require policeguards can be motivated to purchaseand install such systems in theirrespective premises.

9. Computerization: The use ofcomputers is the need of the hour forthe police force. It needs to be taken upin a big way by all police formations.This switch-over to computers will not

only make the police work moresystematized and organized but it willalso help in making the police personnelmore productive. This will indirectly helpin reducing manpower requirement of thepolice. Computerization can be done inthe police stations, SP’s office and officeof other gazzetted officers, DRP lines,Judicial courts, etc. Thiscomputerization will help to reduce thepaper work presently being done and,as a result, save an incredible amount ofmanpower. Let us see how computerscan be introduced in the various unitsas indicated above and how best theycan be utilized.

Each police station should beequipped with a computer, modem,scanners, CD writers and printer. All suchpolice station computers should belinked with each other and with the SP’soffice, through Intranet facility. Twotrained operators should work on thesecomputers round the clock. Thesecomputers should be used to contain allthe police station records. Using scanner,photographs of history sheeters,goondas, bad characters, etc., along withtheir fingerprints and palm prints can befed into the computer. Using CD writers,permanent records of the same can bemade on writable CDs. Thus, even if thecomputer fails, the record is permanentlyavailable at the police station. The workof the MOB constable can also be doneon the computer. The details of allarrested persons along with theirphotographs and finger and palm printscan be fed into the computer and againpermanent records made on CDs.

In the same manner, the computercan be used to compile all types ofinformation as and when required by theSP’s office or other offices. There will bea saving in time, as all the information isreadily available in the computer and ithas to be just compiled. Once theinformation is compiled, it can be e-mailedvia the Intranet to the SP’s office. Thiswill save the use of a constable to bringdak to the SP’s office.

61 July - Dec 2002

In the later stages one canenvisage that the General Diary bemaintained on the computer and evenFIR being taken on thecomputers.With the passage of the ITbill, digital signatures will be legallyvalid. This will require the setting upof more than one terminal in the policestations. Similarly, in the SP’s office,computers can be set up in the Steno’soffice, OM section, Reader section,Head clerk section, Accounts section,SRC section, Establishment section,District Crime Branch and in theDistrict Special branch. Here too, allthe records maintenance andcompilation of information will be doneon computers. This will make thevarious wings of the SP’s office moreefficient and also result in saving ofmanpower.

In the DRP lines the use ofcomputers will also prove verybeneficial. A computer with all theaccessories can be installed here andit can serve a variety of purposes. Itcan be installed at the Roznamchasection and it can have two operatorsround the clock. It will be used to recordthe general diary, keep all accounts,maintain record of all the arms andammunition, cloth store, grain shop andcan also keep a complete statement of allwelfare activities being performed. Thiswill definitely save a lot of manpower.

In the same manner, to reduce theover-utilization of police personnel injudicial courts, computers can beinstalled there too. Each magistrate in thedistrict has a police constable/headconstable attached to his court. Theirmain function is to issue summons andwarrants. They also maintain a record ofall acquittals, take the fingerprints of allconvicts before sending them to the jailsand to organize and put up case diarieson the due date before the magistrates.Thus, by installing one computer andappointing an operator at each seat ofthe judiciary, this work can be easilyaccomplished. In Dhar district court

seats are at Dhar, Badnawar, Mannawar,Sardarpur, Kukshi and Dharampuri. Thus,Dhar can have two operators and all theother tehsil courts can have oneoperator.

NEW TECHNIQUES OFCOMMUNITY POLICING

1. Nagar Suraksh Samities: Thesesamities are working successfully all overthe state. They were introduced by thisofficer in Indore city, while he held theposition of Additional SP (City). Thereis no need to analyze this concept, sufficeto say that if the citizens join the policein prevention and detection of crime,police performance is definitelyenhanced.

2. Mahila Paramarsh Kendra: TheseKendras have also contributed towardsimproving the image of police in the eyesof the common man. This project wasalso started while this officer held theposition of Additional SP (City) Indore.It was under the guidance of Mr NKTripathi, the then DIG, Indore and withthe blessings of Mr Swaraj Puri, the thenIG of Indore. The project had achievedremarkable success during the tenure ofthis officer at Indore. It was nurtured withgreat care and affection. Before thisofficer’s departure, eight centers forproviding counseling had been openedand were working successfully. This is aleading example of community basedpolicing at its best.

3. Neighbourhood Watch:Neighbourhood watch is a very usefulscheme, which can ensure publicparticipation in police work. The citizensunder this scheme are motivated to watchtheir own neighborhood and, as a resultperform police functions andconsequently help to reduce the burdenon the police force. A properly designedneighbourhood watch scheme has thefollowing components:

a. Crime prevention training: Thisincludes forming a committee in theneighborhood watch scheme and a

police officer coming and providingtraining to the members in thiscommittee in respect of crime control.

b. Victim assistance: This includessending victims of different crimes toget medical and police assistance bythe members of the neighborhoodwatch committees.

c. Improving conditions: This includesbringing to the notice of the concernedauthorities about abandoned and otherpremises, which can be used byoffenders to take shelter. Suchauthorities then take action to clean upor demolish such premises.

d. Citizen’s Patrols: The citizensorganize themselves into groups andcarry out patrol duties.

Thus, it can be clearly seen thatthe Neighbourhood watch scheme is aself-help scheme, for the citizens of alocality. This will ensure a partnershipbetween the citizens and the police butalso reduce the burden on the policeforce as the citizens learn to takeresponsibility and secure their ownenvirons.

4.Crime-free Multi-Housingprogramme: This is another communitypolicing programme that can be veryeffectively incorporated in city policing.Again the burden on police will reduceand security environment in a localitywill improve. This includes the followingsteps:

a. Training: This involves giving trainingto the residents of a multi-housingsociety with respect to securing houses,businesses and other premises. A beatpolice official at the premises of thesociety itself can impart this training.

b. Analysis: After this basic securitytraining, the citizens are asked to securetheir premises according to the trainingimparted to them. Then after a few daysthe same police officer visits the

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premises and checks and assesses thesecurity arrangements made. If he findsany shortcomings, he points it out tothe resident and he in turn is expected toremove such defects, so that thepremises can be declared well secured.

c. Certification: After the premises havebeen thoroughly checked, they aredeclared totally secure. This willincrease the confidence of the owner ofthe premises and at the same time makethe work of the police force easier.

This scheme once again shouldbe introduced in colonies and multi-housing complexes in cities, to reducethe burden on police units. Thiscommunity policing effort will ensurepublic participation in police work andthus the demands on the force willreduce with a consequent reduction indemand for police manpower.

5. Citizens Police Academy: This is thelatest concept to train the local citizensin police related fields and then utilizingthem not only to perform quasi-policefunctions but also at the same time topropagate the efforts of the police andthe problems faced by them, amongstthe general public. The citizens will getan idea as to how police officers performtheir duties and how the policedepartment serves the community. Thiswill form a nucleus of well-informedcitizens with greater insight into policepractices and functions. This experimenthas been vastly successful in theLexington-Fayette Urban countydivision of the police in West Virginia,USA.

The programme designed to suitthe local conditions in the district is ofthe following form. A certain number ofcitizens are chosen from the citydepending upon the population of thecity. In smaller towns, where thepopulation is less than 1 lakh, thenumber of citizens should be 20. In citieswhere the population is between 1 lakh

to 10 lakhs the number of citizensselected for the CPA should be 30. Forcities with population between 10 and20 lakhs the number should be 40.Finally, for cities with population above20 lakhs, the number of citizens chosenfor the CPA should be 50.

These citizens are thereafter to beput through a 12-week long course with3 hour training classes per week. Thecurriculum can include training in thefollowing disciplines:

· Criminal law

· Recruitment training

· Patrol procedures

· Narcotics & Vice crimes

· K-9 & bike patrol systems

· Emergency response

· Communications

· Internal affairs

· Media relations

· Accident reconstruction

· Criminal Investigation

· Crime scene processing

· Family abuse & Juveniledelinquency

· Community services

· Crime stoppers

· Defense tactics

· Traffic checks and stops

· Firearm training

Trained in these disciplines, thecitizens chosen to be part of the CPAwill fan out in the society and will notonly aid police work but will carry outexcellent public relation work for thepolice. As a result, burden on local policewill go down and rationalization of themanpower utilization can be broughtabout. Trained and motivated citizens willact as a bridge between the police andthe common man of the towns and cities.

Thus, the Citizens Police Academyalong with all other innovativecommunity policing schemes will havean indirect effect on the utilization ofpolice personnel.

ANALYSIS OF MANPOWERREDUCTION

This section deals with theanalysis of reduction in police manpowerpossible, using the above mentionedupgradations of existing equipment,introduction of new and state-of-the-artgadgetry and innovations in the field ofcommunity policing. This will not be anaccurate picture because there is alreadyan acute shortage of manpower in MPpolice and the scenario given is only ahypothetical one.

Let us first analyze the reductionpossible in the police station staff:

1. With the introduction of large-scalecomputerization in the police stations ofthe district, a large saving in manpoweris possible. In Dhar district police itself,38 police personnel are performing thefunction of office work in different policestations. In addition, there are another20 police personnel functioning as MOBmunshis. This makes a grand total of 58personnel, whose work can be easilyperformed by a computer and twooperators in each police station. Thusthe requirement is of 42 personnel, givinga saving of at least 16 personnel.

2. In the second stage ofcomputerization, when the FIRs and GDare also keyed into computers, afurther saving of 21 personnel can bebrought about from the HCM indifferent police stations.

3. Judicial courts also take up a lot ofmanpower. Each police station has atleast 2 constables working as courtmunshis. One of them is the challanmunshi, who puts up the challan;deposits seized goods along with thechallan in the court and gives copies ofall relevant documents to the accused.The other is called the summon munshi.

63 July - Dec 2002

He receives all the summons/warrantsissued by the courts, brings them to thepolice station, gets it registered in theinward/outward register and thesummon/warrant register and issued tothe police personnel for servicing. InDhar district, 40 constables of all thepolice stations are involved in this work.By providing one photocopy machineat the district headquarters, the work ofthe challan munshi can be greatlyreduced, as now he will just photocopyall the relevant documents and hand itover to the accused. As a result, the workof the challan munshi and the summonmunshi can be performed by one and thesame constable. Thus, instead of 40constables, 20 constables would berequired to perform the various judicialcourt functions. Hence, a saving of 20personnel can be brought about.

4. If proper and high quality surveillancedevices and alarm systems areincorporated into the local policesystems, either by the concerns whichrequire police guards themselves or bythe police organization, a large saving ispossible in manpower utilization by thepolice. At present, 50 personnel (of therank of Head-Constable and Constable),are being utilized as guards in treasuries,banks and colleges. Thus, if not the totalnumber, at least a saving of 25 personnelcan be achieved.

5. With the introduction of state-of- the-art equipment like advanced flashlights,sapphire lights, tactical lights, nightvision devices, thermal infrared devices,effective K-9 units, mounted police unitat each police station, etc., and theupgradation in police mobility andcommunication and with theintroduction in a large way of new andnovel community based policingschemes, the pressure on policepersonnel in relation to night and daypatrolling, will definitely reduce.Though the exact number of reductionin police personnel cannot beimmediately predicted, a rough estimatecan be attempted. In Dhar district, 75

personnel are employed in patrollingeach day. With the above mentionedrevolutions, an average of one personper police station can be reduced. Thus,roughly 20 police personnel can bereduced daily from patrol duties.

6. With the large scale induction ofcomputers at the police station level,equipped with the facility of intranet ande-mail, the use of policemen to act asdak runners, will also be reduced, if notbe deleted altogether. In this district, atleast 29 constables are used daily by thepolice stations as dak runners. Thus,their numbers can be reduced by at least9 personnel, granted that each policestation retains one constable each foremergency dak runner duty.

Now let us analyze the saving inmanpower possible in the DistrictReserve Police lines:

1. The traffic police equippedwith modern traffic aids, traffic signalsat all important crossings and a properwing for traffic education can definitelyshed some of its manpower. In Dhardistrict the strength of the traffic policeis 18. This number can definitely bereduced by 2 personnel if the abovefacilities are ushered in.

2. The DRP line also providespolice personnel for judicial court duty.Their number is 12. These personnel areworking in the six seats of the judicialcourts in the district. As mentionedabove, if computers are provided to allthe courts, then in Dhar court twooperators and in the other five places,one operator each will be able to carryout the job of the court munshi. Thus,the total requirement would be of 7personnel and a consequent reductionof 5 personnel can de achieved.

3. With the introduction ofcomputers in the DPR line and at theSP’s office, a tangible reduction inmanpower is possible. Presently, the

SP’s office, in addition to one SI as aReader, employs 4 HC and 10 constablesin various wings. If computerization iscarried out in the entire SP’s officesections like OM section, Accountssection, Head clerk section, Stenosection, Reader section, SRC section,Establishment section, Pay andallowances section, etc., the policepersonnel acting as ‘helpers’, in thesesections can be done away with. Theconcerned Accountants, UDCs andLDCs would work on the computer anddo the job on their own. Allowing 2 HeadConstables and 4 Constables, foremergency duty in the SP office, a savingof 8 personnel can be achieved at theSP’s office by proper and thoroughcomputerization.

4. With computerization in theDRP line, the line office can also shedexcess manpower. Presently it employs2 Head Constables and 5 Constables.Two well-trained operators can do thejob of maintaining the Roznamcha, thecash box, different cashbooks andledgers, distribution of force, etc. OneHead Constable can supervise their workand all of them will ofcourse work underthe guidance of the Reserve Inspector.Thus, a reduction in manpower to thetune of 4 personnel can be achieved.

5. The armoury, cloth store andwelfare activities use up 13 personnelof different ranks. This figure will alsobe reduced by computerization. At least4 personnel can be reduced from varioussections.

6. Dak runners will also bereduced in the DRP line duty chart. As alarge amount of information will be sentand received by e-mail and the Intranetand the Internet, leaving aside 2 dakrunners for emergencies, 4 personnelcan be shed from the dak duty.

7. The District Special Branch andthe District Crime Branch will alsoundergo computerization. The

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possibility of reduction in manpower inthe already understaffed and longignored DSB is negligible. The DistrictCrime Branch employs 7 policepersonnel. Here too computerization willmake the branch more effective andefficient. However, the chance ofmanpower reduction is not present.

Thus, from the above analysis itis evident that a saving in manpower ofpolice personnel to the tune of 138personnel can be achieved, byimplementing the above mentionedsuggestions.

CONCLUSION

The above report is, as mentionedbefore, based on the various

technological advances, which havetaken place in the world of securityforces and their activities. It is in no wayan exhaustive report about all thetechnological advancements possiblefor the police force in the state. However,it is an attempt to include and analyze asmany of the innovations andupgradations possible in the state policeforce. There has also been an attempt toanalyze the possibility of reduction inmanpower in the police force from thisreport.

Once again it is pertinent to pointout that the situation analyzed ishypothetical and is based on Dhardistrict police as a unit of comparisonand study. Some of the gadgetrysuggested may be beyond the means of

the state police to purchase and operate,but it can form the nucleus of futureefforts of modernization. Similarly, thefigure of saving of 138 personnel maybe a bit inflated, but it has been used toensure the induction of high tech devicesin the state police. This is so becausewithout the reduction and surrender in acertain number of police posts, financeswill not be available to modernize thepolice force.

Taking all those points intoconsideration, the RIMODAL report hasbeen drafted. If studied and utilized andimplemented properly, it will go a longway towards making Madhya PradeshPolice more efficient, cost- effective anda dynamic organization.

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