Police efficiency

It is obvious that a kind of supervision, monitoring and inspection mechanism has been in operation within the police directorate. And it has made its presence felt by punishing a huge number of police personnel (nearly 10 per cent of the 1.9 lakh-strong police force). The disciplinary actions against the policemen have also shown that the element of transparency and accountability is not missing altogether in the police administration.

So far so good. It must not be forgotten that despite what the police department has done against the corrupt elements, the situation has not changed appreciably at the field level where interaction between the people and law enforcers takes place. While the attempts made to weed out the dishonest must be appreciated, the police still have a long way to go to refurbish their image which has over the years been bruised by allegations of widespread corruption, incompetence and, above all, insensitivity to the needs of citizens.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The police have their own problems. They need better training, better salaries and logistical back-ups including modern equipment and weapons to perform well. Professionals do the best when living in self-esteem and that is even truer about the law enforcers. They have to work in the face of heavy odds in our context. Even their number is very inadequate for a country with a population of more than 130 million and which has witnessed an unusual surge in criminality in recent times.

The political use of the police force over time has destroyed whatever professional integrity they were capable of. When politicised, or made to serve political purposes, police are bound to lose motivation and the sense of commitment to their profession. So, alongside the logistical back-ups, the police do need to be freed from the stranglehold of political interference.