NEED FOR CHANGE IN POLICE LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

 

Delhi riots brought leadership crisis in police out in open. Sh  Ajit Doval national security advisor(NSA) has to step in and go on ground   to restore confidence of minority community  in Delhi police leadership. The riots exposed inexperience of police leadership and distrust of leadership by lower ranks and public. What is true for Delhi is equally true for police leadership all over country. Police lawyer imbroglio preceded Delhi riots and lock down.  The Police lawyer clash, riots and lock down brought functioning, professionalism and leadership of police into focus and public gaze. Leadership is the backbone of police force. Strong and professional leadership builds strong police force and vice versa is equally true. Men on ground look up to leadership. Policemen adopts the persona and traits of leader and is reflected in everyday police functioning. The constabulary is good, it moulds as trained by leadership. There are two types of leadership which constabulary see and deal in everyday functioning and both have failed the police force at cutting edge.  The first type, the managerial leadership consisting of Indian Police Service Officers starts from superintendent of Police and goes up to Director General. This leadership has been not been dynamic, managed police force in a perfunctory manner.  Unstable law and order, botched up investigations and low prosecution ratio are mirrors of police leadership effectiveness.  Indicators point to leadership failure   to imbibe and instil professionalism in police force.  The second category is the field/executive leadership from ASI to additional superintendent level. The executive leadership is responsible for law and order, investigation and for managing situations.  It goes by wishes and orders of managerial leadership. The constabulary know that executive leadership is accountable with little authority and freedom of action. Therefore, what happens in such situation is alarming and leads to chaos and every police officer at cutting edge level becomes his own leader.

 Police is on duty 24X7X365 because police stations are understaffed. It leads to increased workload, fatigue, little time for family and social obligations,  irritation, stress  and depression which affects him ,his functioning and  family too. Police constable the visible face of police comes from middle class/lower middle class social strata. Why it is that his own fears him. Why is it that his own become victims of his brutality? He does not think of parameters of law while behaving with fellow citizens. Does not he know that uniform bestows responsibility upon him to behave in civil manner and bring those flouting rules before court of law instead of himself becoming law enforcer and judge? The lack of professionalism coupled with stress   works as time bomb on  and little bit of pressure is enough to crack it. The Delhi police lawyer clash cracked the police force and it went into strike with elements of field leadership.  Managerial leadership negotiates with constabulary. No one questioned managerial leadership, no heads rolled.Government  treated police strike as routine matter. A bad precedent set for future.

Police leadership is responsible for ensuring operational efficiency of police force through proper training and upkeep of morale has failed police force. In crises, the managerial leadership has been found wanting. Field leadership and constabulary looks for directions whatsoever which never come clearly. The briefing of situation by   superiors is either sketchy or there is no briefing. That is norm in police  functioning and every policeman becomes his  own leader, take  own decisions.  The leadership vacuum lead to police failure to handle situation effectively, targeting of innocents, brutalities and communal overtones in police action. In Delhi It was only at the fag end when rioting subsided that police leadership was visible.

Lockdown saw police highhandedness and brutalities on common citizens in the initial phase of lock down though fortunately police presented its positive and human side later, which deserve appreciation. Police ineffectiveness results from factors like improper training, political interference, bureaucratic and political nexus, corruption and is responsible for poor state of policing and police health. Police leadership cannot be absolved and need to be held accountable.

Need is to make police force at cutting edge strong and professional. Empower field leadership since it rises from ranks and understand local police needs. Remove undercurrents of dissatisfaction, frustration and lack of motivation by improving service conditions. The police leadership structure need revolutionary reforms to make police well-oiled law and order machinery. The hegemonic leadership functional pattern and structure dominated by Indian Police Service need reformation. Bring in ground and field level leadership in this structure to make police effective, potent and human police force. Amend relevant manuals and  incorporate provisions in recruitment rules  that police constable gets an opportunity to get promotion up to rank of inspector and  directly recruited sub inspector reaches up to the rank superintendent of police.  Make sure that 50 percent of all authorised and sanctioned posts in higher police ranks up to Director General are reserved for state police service directly recruited officers. The positive results will be visible on ground. Hope that   government introspects and order urgently needed changes in police leadership structure to make police an effective and truly, community oriented police, which through public cooperation will ensure peace and harmony in its area of responsibility.