IMPHAL, June 30: The Centre for Organisation Research and Education has expressed extreme concern against the `deteriorating discipline and performance`™ of the Manipur Police as reflected in the consistently frequent reports in the local medias of uniformed personnel belonging to the Police department involved in all sorts of misdemeanors, serious crimes and rights abuses.
A statement of the CORE said in the month of June 2015 alone, there were reports of at least seven separate instances where Manipur Police personnel were involved in violations of the law; four reports of robbery or attempted robbery, one traffic law violation, one assault and manslaughter and another report of unprovoked firing during vehicle checking in the capital city of Imphal.
In May 2015, there were five separate reported cases of Manipur Police personnel involved several different violations including one assault and attempted robbery for refusing bribe demand, one assault, one terrorist activity, and two drug use, it continued.
The reported incidents and events are too numerous to detail, it continued.
The statement continued, particular forces within the Police Department such as the Traffic Police, Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) and Manipur Village Defence Force (VDF) have been reported as regularly involved in crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, cyber-crime, murder and militant activities, petty corruption in public, disproportionate use of power, indiscipline, undermining of authority, public arrogance, use of abusive language and open disrespect to the citizens and abuses of human rights including torture, cruel and inhuman or degrading treatment and sexual abuse.
It said there are absolutely no excuses for this form of behaviour by the police of Manipur, and the minister concerned has yet to make a public statement regarding these reports.
Further according to the statement, the association of the police with drug use, drug trafficking and alcoholism, according to frequent reports in the media, is one of the foremost concerns of the public in Manipur today. Such aberrations among the police personnel have profound and negative consequences for society and the force, it said.
The statement further said that providing a secure environment and taking up confidence building measures requires two priorities, first and foremost being the issue of making the police a disciplined force.
`A disciplined police officer is a friendly police officer. After more than three years under the stewardship of the minister, there are still many serious and unaddressed shortcomings in the police recruitment model, training, deployment and supervision of the force by competent, honest and dedicated senior police officers that are to be seriously reviewed and corrected.`
`Secondly, there is widespread and regular interference in the work of police while conducting their duties from politicians and other authorities. Such interference not only hampers police work, but also discourages and undermines their morale, status and role in society,` it said.
Further according to the statement, the third priority is for the government to establish an independent Police Complaints Mechanism.
The government is yet to comply with the orders of the Supreme Court of India for wide police reforms. The VDF recently resorted to strikes and bandhs, disrupting services, to raise their demands for equitable remuneration, it said.
It continued a police force, such as the VDF, which has very poor quality training, and suffers from low morale and self respect, is bound to be undisciplined and vulnerable to influences that pull them towards criminal activities, dereliction of duty and pitiable performance. This has been found to be the case with the VDF.
As a modern police force today, the Manipur police department has begun to recruit women among its police officials of all ranks, it said adding that the women police personnel must be given adequate exposure and training to conduct their challenging duty in the service of the people with the highest discipline.
`Recently, a ranking woman police officer in charge of traffic duties was implicated in a widely reported and condemned incident that reflected misconduct and acting beyond the call of her duties. This sort of reported misconduct has inflicted the department a great and demoralizing blow,` the CORE statement said.
`It has become a regular practice for the police to get involved in mediation exercises between disputing parties, including domestic disputes. Laws specifically preclude police from offering mediation or assisted alternative dispute resolution services to parties. Police should not attempt to improve relations in the family by offering these services or by mediating a dispute. Involvement of the police in mediation opens up many opportunities for corrupt practices and the miscarriage of justice.`
`The minister is responsible for establishing and maintaining a people-friendly police force that is dignified. That was the respected minister`™s commitment. The public does not expect and tolerate a police force that has no dignity or discipline,`™ it said.