Daily Post 1499
INDIAN POLICE – TRANSFORMATIONAL STRATEGY
Indian Police in general is not in sync with today’s complex world is just stating the obvious. The exponential technological disruption and the consequent changes in social and economic fabric has made life more complex and the police job more expertise based and demanding.*From the basics of physical training to the IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act, the Police Manuals, expertise and experience gathered on the job and MCTPs have not added up into either meeting the policing requirements of today or creating and operationalising a blueprint for tactical change. Professional desire and an stifling ecosystem have found its own equilibrium, which has become the norm which all follow in their own way.
With 98% of human interaction going on the digital mode, all evidence would emanate out of it. Indian laws in this scenario are still in a nascent stage and so are our capabilities. Law & Order to Intelligence are all interwoven in technology; CCTNS to CCTVs to Integrated Command & Command Centers, data driven intelligence and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and a host of disruptive technologies are redefining policing from intelligent serving of beats to detecting and predicting mines in counter terrorism operations. We are worth the tools we possess and expertise we have in using them. Deliverables can be the only parameter of our existence. When will our mindset accept that? 10/10 on ACRs has no operational viability. Every professional today is 50% domain and 50% technology. These are the nuptials of today & tomorrow.
Have we worked on the management side? The challenge of managing diverse police force with diversified nature of tasks, large number of it; new and challenging, needs a totally different management & execution mindset. The command and control system needs to be throughly redefined. Measurable methods of deliverable validation have to created. Treating everything as superfluous but for ad hoc management of law and order and investigation of some high profile cases cannot take us places. Managerial challenge is the biggest challenge of the Indian Police followed by the tech vacuum but for few a half baked projects and equally doubtful jargons used.
Strategy has never been our forte. Time for a paradigm shift. Otherwise we are in for an ongoing Waterloo.The police and citizenry should not have to pay heavily later for whatever has been left unattended now.
TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE INDIAN POLICE IS A LONG STANDING REQUIREMENT.