Time to detox Indian police system

Suicides by police personnel are often ignored, misunder-stood, misrepresented and under researched.

The 17th century was called the age of enlightenment, the 18th  as the age of reason, the 19th as the age of progress, and the 20th, the age of anxiety. It is not surprising that suicides have been rising with the advancement of the present century. Suicide is becoming a global phenomenon affecting every country and professions.

Suicide by police personnel is an upcoming problem faced by the law enforcement agencies in India. The problem is often ignored, misunderstood, misrepresented and under researched by the higher-ups.

There are several psychological factors that determine the level of suicide ideation with an increase in factors such as occupational stress, anxiety, trauma, violence, grief, danger, time pre-ssure, work-shifts, low self-este-em, frustration, depression, family problems, odd-working hours, courtroom appearances etc.

Lack of consultation and lengthy internal and external investigations on criminal/civil cases, political interference, insufficient staff, absence of technical aids, frequent transfers, lack of cooperation and constant criticism by the media and public which  also instigate  police officers to commit suicide.

The job of a police officer demands a lot of responsibility and he/she is expected to be loyal, dutiful and polite. But at the same time, the people should also give them respect, appreciation and motivation for their work. Police officers play a significant role in maintaining law and order in the society despite all the shortcomings and limitations in the Police Department especially with regard to the infrastructure facilities, manpower and periodic training.

The very nature of their job leaves them depressed, frustrated and stressed. The police force in India does not have a positive image because of the depleted police-public interaction. Defi-ned by a rigid bureaucratic cad-re, the police personnel have to work not only to see that crime remains under control but also have to face systematic interference from politicians, bureaucr-ats and other influential people.

According to Crimes in India, published by the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 165 police personnel committed suicide in 2014. Maharashtra (36 suicides) has reported the highest number of such suicides accounting for 21.8% followed by Tamil Nadu (27) and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (15 each). Nearly 40.0%(66 out of 165) suicides at all-India level was reported in the age group of 30 and 45 years.

A total of 35.8% (59 out of 165), 28.1% (66 suicides) and 23.6% (39 suicides) of total suicides at the All India level were reported in age group 45-60 years, 30-45 years and 18-30 years, respectively, during 2014.

The constables are the grassroots level people who are often overburdened with operational level of policing such as mob co-ntrol, beat duty, crime scene visits, VIP protection duty, festival duty and are frequently exposed to scenes of violence and crime. Those officers with lower ranks and poor qualifications are espe-cially likely to be confined to an impoverished environment and lack alternative employment/ advancement opportunities.

They are the ones who are most likely to interact with suspects and members of the public on a daily basis. The subordinate police officers are so lowly paid that corruption has become an accepted thing in the department. The fact that a police officer is supposed to be on duty all the 24 hours restricts them from enjoying even the fundamental rights that a public servant has. They have to do night duty not less than half a month and need to be working overtime.

Concept of ‘police service’
Marital status also affects the life of a police officer to a great extent. When he/she arrives from his/her work, the role changes and this can be very stressful at times especially when personal life is complex and demands equal attention. Sharing personal problems with co-workers also can change the attitude of all those working in the same workplace and can be misused by others.

To combat the problem, the concept of “police force” should be replaced with that of “police service”. The strength of the police should be increased in every state so that proper division of labour is possible among the officers at the grassroot level.

Portfolio-based division – law and order, crime branch, vigila-nce, special branch etc – of police officers should be done during the screening level and special training should be given, which enables the officers to become masters in their specialised area.
Irrespective of the entry level, whether constable, sub-inspector or an IPS-level officer, each must gain experience as civil police officer for at least three years.

The performance evaluation system by the public can be introduced to overcome the stigmatisation from superior officers. Overtime duty for grassroot-level officers should be minimised and they should be paid for such duties. Long-term stress causes depression and suicide. Therefore, regular screening for mental health problems during a physical examination can be provided. The department can provide counselling to all officers by recruiting psychologists to enable them to deal with stress and frustration.

Effective implementation of community policing will help the officers to gather information which helps the detection and prevention of crime, which is considered to be their prime duty. Workshops, talks, yoga and meditation classes can be held to help them control their anger and channelise their energy constructively.

(The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Science, Jain University, Bengaluru)