Police Week

The most basic problem that the police force in this country faces is lack of manpower and resources. To this day, the total manpower of all the police forces around the country is less than 1 lakh. In a country of over 130 million people, is it any surprise that such a paltry number of police is unable to provide us with security?

It is not merely the low numbers of available policemen and women which is the problem, what police we do have are often put to work directing traffic, escorting VIPs, or regulating rallies and processions. As a result, the number of police available for the actual job of fighting crime and keeping law and order is lower still.

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In addition, the police do not have the resources to sufficiently train new recruits, compensation is poor, and the police do not have modern up-to-date equipment, either to protect themselves or with which to investigate crime.

Of course, the principal problem has been the politicization of the police which means that promotions and transfers are politically motivated and that often the hands of the police are tied when it comes to investigating allegations of wrongdoing.

It is thus no surprise that morale is lower than it should be and that the police have been unable to do a better job. Many reforms are needed to curb police misconduct, but the government must also not ignore reform that would help the police provide better service to the people, which is all that the vast majority of honest, conscientious and hard-working policemen and women wish to do.