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Stress on research in police functioning `Research improves functioning'

Staff Reporter

Police colloquium on "Respecting and Recognising Research" concludes

ALL SMILES: IPS officer Kiran Bedi at the first colloquium on research organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development in New Delhi. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: The four-day colloquium on "Respecting and Recognising Research" organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) ended here on Saturday with speakers emphasising the significance of research in improving police functioning.

Addressing the valedictory session, Secretary (Research and Analysis Wing) in the Cabinet Secretariat P.K.H. Tharakan said research always helps organisations improve their functioning.

Mr. Tharakan said there were two aspects of research: "One pertains to the professional aspect, while the other deals with possibilities of undertaking large scale changes."

Citing the death sentence awarded by a fast track court on Friday to a retired Delhi Police officer in a custody death case 19 years ago, Mr. Tharakan said human rights violations could never be accepted. But he added that even the police have limitations. "Are we expecting too much from our policemen? Is it really possible to solve all cases within a very short period of time? People need to be informed about their limitations. The media should understand this too," he said.

On the issue of police reforms, however, Mr. Tharakan said while there was virtual unanimity on insulating the police from political influence, there was a little hesitancy in setting up an accountability mechanism for the police.

Recounting the experience of Kerala, where the police were freed from political influence during the Chief Ministership of A.K. Antony, Mr. Tharakan, the then Director-General of Kerala Police, said despite being able to bring down crime, the police were not able to convince people that they were not running riot with the freedom because there was no accountability mechanism put in place.

Lauding the efforts of BPRD, Mr. Tharakan assured that he would convey the concerns of the Bureau -- low budgets and no delegation powers -- to the Union Home Minister.

Giving away Govind Ballabh Pant Awards to authors of five books in Hindi on police-related subjects, Mr. Tharakan emphasised that since law and order is a State subject, it would be ideal if the literature on police were translated into other regional languages as well.

Expressing gratitude to the participants, BPRD Director-General Kiran Bedi said the most important outcome of the colloquium for the Bureau was that it has begun asking crucial question like "why". "Persistently asking this question will lead us to solutions," she said.

Earlier, presenting a paper on road accident investigation, Institute of Road Traffic Education president Rohit Baluja said investigations of accidents in the country was still a neglected subject. "Those who die in accidents should not be treated as mere statistics."

Responding to a query by Dr. Bedi, Mr. Baluja lamented that the Delhi police had refused to induct their crash lab mounted on interceptors.

CRRI Director P.K. Nanda said death due to fatalities would be among the top three major killers on roads in the next 10 years. The BPRD and the Confederation of Indian Industry also jointly held an exhibition featuring equipment that can be used by the police in future.

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