“Assam police must work to change image”

Guwahati: The State Police Accountability Commission, Assam, has recommended that the police should change their “hackneyed mindset” and work overtime to effect a perceptual change in their image from an instrument of coercion to a people-friendly force that is as much a part of the society as any law-abiding citizen.
“The police must wear a humane face if they honestly mean to endear themselves and thereby win the confidence, faith and trust of the public,” stated the Commission in its annual report.
The Commission headed by Justice (retired) D.N. Choudhury stated that the public express rather low tolerance for police misconduct, particularly the unnecessary use of force and the use of abusive language.
The Commission said that a close scrutiny and evaluation of the number and types of complaints received by it indicated that there was an increasing tendency on the part of officers at the police station level to be impervious to the genuine grievances of the community whom they are supposed to serve.
“Discourteous behaviour by the police personnel towards the members of the public was a common complaint, as was the difficulty in getting complaints entertained and cases registered. In effect, police officers at the police stations refuse to accept First Information Reports (FIRs), register offences and maintain proper case diaries,” the report said.
The Commission noted that there was a general tendency on the part of the police not to record the facts of a case objectively either deliberately or at the behest of vested interests or because of pressures from above. “As a result the real culprits often go scot-free and innocent people are put under arrest.”
Calling for transparency at all levels , the commission recommended that when a person was taken into custody, the presence of relatives was desirable to rule out application of third-degree methods.
The Commission asked the Director General of Police to formulate accountability parameters for various ranks, including the supervisory responsibility of senior ranks of and above the rank of Superintendents of Police.