Police officers should be on streets, not in offices

During normal times, there should be pro-active policing. When there is effective policing, there will be a fear factor among the criminally minded, who will think twice before undertaking any unlawful activity. However, if you allow crime to occur, what is the point of claiming policing is good?

In the past, most police stations boasted of one Sub Inspector whose very presence was enough to strike fear. Criminals would lie low, saying, “That SI has been shifted here. He is a tough customer.” We do not hear of such police personnel nowadays because most of them are firefighting, or the forces are being deployed in huge numbers elsewhere. 

Also, in earlier times, rowdies used to be paraded and people would know them. Today, they are all taken away in vans and no one knows who is going where. There is no effective deterrent like fear of the police.

Moreover, where are the officers?  We do not see them on the roads. Top officers should be out making their presence felt on the streets and not sit inside their offices.  We need effective prevention and hands-on supervision. We simply need brave, visible leadership for subordinates to emulate in providing effective policing. 

Many officers like me used to do it in the past. I have been out on the roads and I did not stop that practice even when I was the Commissioner of Police. 

A number of other officers, including Deputy Commissioners were always visible on the roads. Such a presence make better citizens of everyone. Take the case of the presence of a traffic constable. His presence at a junction would evoke a sense of fear, and violators would toe the line.  

Traffic police should enforce the law with their sheer presence. People would stop jumping signals, rash driving will come down. People assume that accidents happen. That is not a correct assumption. People cause accidents. 

Whether it is drunk driving or violating lane discipline or failure to wear helmets, a policeman by his sheer presence can effectively change the situation on the ground. Prevention is very important. It is said the nature of crime is changing, people are not how they were in the past anymore, nothing is black and white, all of 

which pose a huge challenge to the police force. There is no doubt about it, we are seeing a general deterioration of values in society. But everything comes right back to discipline. 

Among the police force a former intelligence cop’s saying is often shared. He used to say, “ If discipline is maintained in the house, there won’t be delinquency in society.” However, societal changes cannot be a barrier to enforcing law and order. Uniforms should be visible on the road, instilling respect for the law.