Knowing More On What’s That Which Will Click In Police Reforms

Police reforms refer to the policies and laws that are there to check the behaviour of the various police officers and improve department-related issues. They help maintain the rules and regulations in the police department and look after their welfare. The Police reforms are a debated concept among people. A governing body looks after the Police reforms. The changing nature of crimes and criminal scenarios demands the existence of Police reforms that look after the welfare of the police department and the various issues.

Police Reforms and Related History

The very structure of the entire Indian Police system came into existence in 1861 when the revolt of 1857 took place. It happened in the form of the Police Act of 1861. The ancient system of police and police-related departments has somewhat rotten up from within. Various forms and policies need renewal and change. 

The history of police reforms in India and that of the Indian police system bears testimony to the common troubles that the country had to face due to the old working system, which has become inefficient. That system was efficient and beneficial initially when the crimes were not so grave and the matters were solved easily. 

Moreover, the development of technology has led to an increase in criminal cases. The desperate and ill-intentioned people who have time on their hands misuse technology and other facilities. They misuse it to hurt people, groups, or a particular community by various means. 

The police reforms needed in India

With the changing pattern of crimes, the police system needs to adapt and bring about a change in its working system. Working in their old ways and with cliché and obsolete methodologies, the rate of solving cases in India is gradually declining. Many cases go unheard and the ones, which are heard and taken care of, stay in the middle with no solid conclusion in sight. Looking at these problems, there needs to be a change in the police reforms. The police reforms needed in India are:

• A state security system must be established for the police so that the state cannot influence the police in any way and hinder their duties. 

• The functions of police should be properly classified and without any overlapping. The overlapping of functions always causes chaos among the police departments leading to the failure in performing their duties well. For example, the ‘investigation’ part should be separated from the rest of the duties. 

• The women should have fair representation in police departments and the departments must recruit women actively. It helps create a harmonising atmosphere at the workplace and enables both genders to participate actively. 

• An improvement in the police-to-people ratio is required in states. 

• Proper implementation of guidelines and no vehement discretion by the police against the central or the state orders. 

• Adequate payment to the staff of the entire police department to save them from earning by unfair means like corruption. 

Supreme court judgement on police reforms 2006

The Supreme court judgement on police reforms 2006 was to look deeply into the matter of lobbying of IPS officers and the ‘power brokers.’ Prakash Singh filed a PIL in the supreme court seeking the police reforms, in answer to which the supreme court proposed and suggested the following measures –

• The tenure and the selection of the GDPs must be fixed in order to avoid the worsening of situations and laws going out of hand. 

• A minimum or a short tenure was suggested for the Inspector General of Police to ensure no political intervention.

• Formation of a National Security Commission was also proposed. 

• To improve the working of the police, separation of law and order and investigation functions were ordered by the court. 

• The setting up of the State Security Commissions, which had members from Civil society.

Conclusion

Police reforms have become necessary to eliminate the problem of the criminal cases not being solved and the system of police officers not working correctly. The proposal of the Police Reforms was put forward to the Supreme court to pass a judgement regarding it. Doing this can break the lethargy cycle of working in the police departments. Moreover, the reforms contain suggestions that can significantly help the corruption rates to go down. The Police reforms are necessary and must cut at the roots of the rusted system of police organisations and the way higher officials and the common people treat them.