STF Full Form

The abbreviation STF stands for Special Task Force, a law enforcement agency that specialises in crisis management. The major duty of a Special Task Force is to investigate, control and avert various ongoing crime trends and drug activities. 

A special task force can be termed as a team of personnel who have been provisionally assigned to collaborate in order to accomplish a precise and well defined goal. Despite the fact that the notion originated in the military, it is now widely used in business, law enforcement, and non-profit groups. Most of the time it consists of a diverse group of personnel who are able to combine a variety of their abilities into a single body. 

SPECIAL TASK FORCE IN INDIA 

Special Task Forces, which are part of the police task force, were developed in India to address certain issues. Every state in India has the authority to form a Special Task Force and disband it accordingly.

They are created mainly because of the lack of competent police troops for a particular objective, such as eliminating a significant criminal or criminal group, or as a counter-insurgency or anti-terrorism tactic.

In the 1980s, the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were one of the first to form Special Task Forces to combat ivory poacher Veerappan. The Special Task Forces were successful in eventually slaying him in Operation Cocoon in 2004. To combat insurgency, similar units were developed in Punjab in the late 1980s. In 1998, a Special Task Force was created to take out Shri Prakash Shukla.

GOALS OF A SPECIAL TASK FORCE

The goals of a special task force mainly depend on the complication prevailing. They may be short term like solving a specific current crisis or looking for a felon on the loose; or long term issues like smuggling of drugs, guns etc. that are more challenging. 

When a special task force is constituted, its objectives are clearly stated. The commanding officer usually specifies the level of staffing, resources, equipment and funding required. When the targeted objective is met, the group may be disbanded, with its members returning to their former roles.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A SPECIAL TASK FORCE

There are several features of a special task force that sets it aside from other groups. One of them typically being a sense of autonomy, the special task force is usually led by someone powerful enough to make judgments without consulting superiors all of the time. This makes a task force incredibly dynamic, adaptable, and efficient, allowing members to make the most of their skills. 

A drug and alcohol task force, for example, would operate independently of a police department to combat concerns concerning the production, distribution, and use of illegal narcotics and high risking alcohol. 

Special task forces are goal oriented. They are charged with a specific objective and are expected to be successful in it. They hire people from various government bodies, bringing together the required experts to make sure that all the necessary talents and expertise for completing the work are present at hand.

The special task force is designed to be a temporary group of people who come together for as long as it takes to complete the given task, and not any longer. When a project is completed, the majority of special task forces are disbanded. 

The special task force is usually made up of only the experts who are considered essential to do the task at hand. The team ought to be flexible, focused, reactive, and efficient.

HOW TO APPLY OR GET SELECTED FOR THE SPECIAL TASK FORCE?

Serving personnel of policemen (positions of constable and higher ups) are recruited for the Special Task Force depending on their remarkable prior record and exceptional physical capabilities. 

You can try for the Special Task Forces by taking the UPSC test, clearing the exams and then choosing the police service branch, or by taking a state-level competitive exam.

SPECIAL TASK FORCE OFFICER SALARY

In India, the average gross income for a special task force officer is around Rs. 7,00,675 annually.   They also get a bonus of around Rs. 24,524 on average. Income estimates are based on a survey data that was done on unnamed employees and employers in India. 

The average pay for an entry-level task force officer that is 1-3 years of experience is around Rs. 511,008 annually. A senior level task force officer that is 8+ years of experience, on the other hand, gets an average pay of around RS. 877,255 annually.

THE CASE OF SHRI PRAKASH SHUKLA

The Uttar Pradesh Police first formed a Special Task Force in 1998 to assassinate Shri Prakash Shukla. Because crime was at an all-time high in Uttar Pradesh around that time. Shri Prakash Shukla was Uttar Pradesh’s one of the most notorious tyrants in the 1990s. 

Theft, burglary and other criminal actions had reached new heights. The Special Task Force was quite efficient in catching criminals and suppressing crime in the state of Uttar Pradesh at that time. It has been a vital part of the UP police force since then.

CONCLUSION 

This article thoroughly detailed the Special Task Forces (STF) that are created at times of crisis to manage and control the situation. They are important forces at times of crisis because they are the ones that are responsible for eliminating the threat.

Every state can form its own Special Task Forces and disband it accordingly, depending upon the situation. They are special police task forces, a vital part of government bodies that are essential for the betterment of the country.