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COMMUNITY POLICING SCHEMES LAUNCHED BY H.P POLICE
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Community Policing Schemes
Law enforcement agencies across the globe are focusing on Community Policing strategies that help prevent crime, reduce fear of crime and ensure safety and security of the community.
2. Police as an organization is established by the Community for taking care of their needs. The community pays for the entire staff of police department through payment of taxes and also pays pension and retirement benefits besides fringe benefits to the policemen. Thus, the community looks after the police and families of policemen for nearly 70 years for the service they render for 35 years. The society also provides policemen status, uniforms, powers, recognition and several other benefits. But what do the policemen give to the Community in return? Since the community has employed the policemen they are the masters and policemen their employees. Thus, the community expects policemen to deliver policing services by involving the community completely in policing processes, understanding their needs and adopting people friendly methods and procedures.
3. Studies have revealed that, �People who come in contact with Police have much better opinion about police than those who never come in contact with Police�. However, unfortunately or fortunately, 98% of the community does not have any need to contact police in their life time, but, they carry a negative image of police. This makes it necessary for police to get in touch with all the members of the Community in non-incident situations and involve them as active partners in policing efforts.
4.EARLIER ATTEMPTS AT COMMUNITY POLICING IN H.P.:-Several attempts have been made earlier to implement Community Policing in Himachal Pradesh. Orders were issued by the DGP, H.P. vide No. CB-3-60/2000-50592-604 B dated 20.10.2000 & vide D.O. letter No.CB-3-60/2000-50101-12A dated 4.10.2001 to launch various schemes/programmes.
5. REVISED SCHEME AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 Keeping in view the experience gained during the last few years and feed back received from the Community and various other quarters, including police officers, the Community Policing Scheme/ Samudayak Police Yojna is being revised.The main objectives of this SCHEME are to achieve the following :
5.2 Community should be able to identify and solve their problems
5.3 Community should be able to prevent crime on their own
5.4 Community should be able to assist the police in ensuring safer living conditions
5.5 Community should feel safe and be satisfied with Police Services and efforts.
6. Keeping in view the above and orders already issued on this subject, the following Community Policing Schemes are proposed to be implemented in 2007:
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6.1 BEAT POLICING TEAM : ( Active group) This scheme will be initiated with the help of ACTIVE GROUP of six / seven respectables of the area , one HHG, one Chowkidar and one Police officer ( beat constable). One private member of this group will be the team leader ( Honorary Special Police Officer) .The active group/beat policing team will meet atleast once a month, before or after the meeting of the Gram Panchayat/local body, taking up matters of Community Policing including review of cases pending trial, finding solutions to crime problems and local disputes, taking crime prevention measures and generating awareness regarding Community Policing in the beat.
6.2 SANRAKSHAN YOJNA: Under this scheme, all Beat Officers are required to prepare lists of such citizens who are above sixty-five years of age and are living alone. These lists are prepared with the active cooperation of the local Community Policing Team. Following this exercise, a policeman or a community police volunteer will be designated to visit the residences of such citizens at least once a week to enquire about their welfare and to render reasonable assistance.
6.3 POLICE SAHAYATA KAKSH : Police Sahayata Kaksh/Police Assistance Centers will be established at important places in the Beat especially at Bus stands, district entry points, tourist places, temples, important road junctions, residential areas, shopping complexes, hospitals etc. to help and assist residents/ visitors to these areas to take care of Policing needs and duties, as well as , instill sense of safety and security in the minds of general public & tourists.
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7.1 COMMUNITY POLICING COMMITTEE/Community Liaison Group / SAMUDAYAK POLICE SAMITI to be formed in all Police Stations by the SHO/SDPO with the approval of S.P. This committee will meet every three months to review the functioning at Police Station level. This Samiti will comprise of respectable local residents with unimpeachable character and antecedents, including retired public servants/heads of teaching institutions and other representatives of the community. This committee will advise the police in identifying the Policing needs of the Community and monitor the functioning of the Police at Station level. The Group shall have a fair representation of all segments of the society in villages/towns falling in jurisdiction of the Police Station. Not less than one-third of the Samiti may comprise women. This Samiti may have a representative from each village Panchayat, Municipal Committee/Nagar Panchayat from within the jurisdiction of the concerned Police Station.
7.2 VISHWAS YOJNA : Visit of public groups and School children to Police Stations: Under this scheme, school children are invited to Police Stations where they are taken around the premises and exposed to the general atmosphere and working of Police. This has proved to be very useful in removing the fear of Police from the minds of the children and adding to better understanding of police functioning. In addition now, it has been decided to invite groups of public, opinion makers, media persons, beopar madals, mahila mandals, trade unions etc. to visit police stations with the purpose of inter action with the staff of local police station and assess the working of the Police Station on:
(i) condition of hygiene and cleanliness of police station premises;
(ii) facilities provided to victims/ complainants /witnesses;
(iii) implementation of Community Policing Schemes;
(iv) efforts being made by the Police Station to catch criminals and prevent crime and
(v) Police Station response in distress/disaster situations
7.3 POLICE CLUBS: Road Safety Clubs; Students, youth, sports & welfare clubs Under this scheme measures will be initiated to help in implementation of social legislation, enforce duties of citizens as provided in the constitution, generate funds for undertaking activities of Community Policing and welfare of police personnel on self help basis by organizing sports and welfare activities for police personnel, their families and the community.
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8.1 SAHYOG YOJNA: visit of Gazetted Police Officers to villages, Panchayats, schools, colleges, jails and juvenile homes etc. This scheme is to boost the cooperation and coordination among police and public institutions and seek participation/involvement of all people of the society in Police work. The Police Officers visiting schools, colleges and villages will also apprise the students and community about the role and working of Police. They will also be educating the youth and village community about the menance of drugs and other social evils prevailing in the area and the need to fight these collectively through Community Policing Schemes.
8.2 SAMARTH YOJNA : Under this scheme girl students of schools and colleges in the State will be imparted training in unarmed combat by police personnel in order to instill confidence in them while dealing with eve-teasers and other anti-social elements.
8.3 Any other scheme considered suitable by the Community and the Local Police for adoption by the Police Station/Battalion/Police unit . This scheme will be adopted with the approval of district S.P./Battalion Commandant and implemented at the level of S.D.P.O./Dy.S.P.
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9.1 MAITRI YOJNA (Victim and witness care scheme) : Under this scheme care and protection of the victims and witnesses will be ensured by devising suitable strategies and mechanism. There is need to institutionalize the system keeping in view the need to enhance the conviction rate and generate more faith/respect for the criminal justice system in the minds of the general public and the Community, especially the poor and weaker sections of society.
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