'Cops should move on foot in crime-prone areas'

Policemen should move on foot in crime-prone localities to gather intelligence and prevent any untoward criminal incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has told states.

The MHA is also miffed at states for not complying with the directive on compulsory registration of FIRs and wanted them to bring transparency and efficiency in policing to improve the image of police.

 The recent advisories to state chief secretaries come against the backdrop of decisions taken at the conference of Director Generals of Police held in Gujarat Rann of Kutch December last year where it was proposed to make intelligence gathering robust.

 In one of the advisories issued on Monday, the MHA said the Centre attaches the highest importance to prevention of crime. It advised states to give more attention to the administration of criminal justice system with emphasis on prevention of crime and control of crime.

 It reminded the states about the proposal cleared at the DGPs’ conference, which suggested that police personnel be encouraged to move on foot in at least 500 towns and cities in the first place.

 The states should “put in place a mechanism to ensure that policemen in crime-prone areas gather intelligence for preventing crime”, the advisory said. States “should take appropriate actions” so that the work relating to intelligence gathering in prevention of crime “does not get neglected”.

Recalling contents of a 2010 circular, the MHA also said the investigation wing should be separated from law and order duty and encourage outsourcing of non-core police functions like issuance of court summons to free more policemen for core policing functions.

Another advisory spoke about the MHA's unhappiness over the inaction of states in not ensuring that all complaints are registered.

“The ministry is receiving reports from various quarters about non-compliance with this,” it said. “It is the duty of the state/UT administrations to bring transparency as well as efficiency in the framework so that public trust in government service delivery is upheld and image of police is also kept in high esteem,” the advisory said.

 “Therefore, the state governments/UT administrations must ensure utmost promptness in registering FIRs without any discrimination and jurisdiction and also make available the copy of FIR,” it added.