COMMUNITY POLICING

SHRI SANKAR SENDG NHRC (Investigation)

Senior Fellow

INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

8, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant KunjNew Delhi – 110 070, INDIA

Phone:0091-011-26121902,1909 Mobile: 09810321503

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

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

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

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

5.

(a) Community based crime prevention

 (b) Decentralization of command

(c) Increased accountability to

local communities

(d) Reorientation of police patrol activities

to render non-emergency services

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

(a) Breaks down anonymity of policing and diminishes psychological distance

between the police and the public - puts faces in uniform.

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

  (c) Increases job satisfaction for the

police in ongoing community programmes

(d) Enhances police accountability to the community

7.

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

 8. COMMUNITY POLICING TRADITIONS

AND EXPERIMENTS IN INDIA

(a)Policing under the GUPTAS

and the MAURYAS

(b) Police Act of 1861-Article 17

and 19 of the Police Act

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

9. INITIATIVES AFTER

INDEPENDENCE

(a) Karnataka Village Defence Party Act 1960

- functioning of the Village Defence Parties.

(b)Kerala experiments

(c)Friends of Police movement in Tamil Nadu

(d) Strong and weak points of

FOP Movement

(e) Bhiwandi experiment

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

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

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

11. In respect of the Community Policing

initiatives and experiments in India

following points deserve further attention

(a) Success of rural based community policing programmes

has been limited. There is an urban and

rural divide

(b) Lack of continuity - unhealthy

predecessor and successor syndrome at work

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

Community Policing

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

ANY QUESTIONS PLEASEANY QUESTIONS PLEASE

Sankar Sen, IPS (Retd.)

Senior Fellow

iss@nda.vsnl.net.in

Sankar_sen@mantraonline.com

Institute of Social Sciences8 Nelson Mandela Road

Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110 070, INDIATel: 0091-011-26121902, 26895370