The Hindu : Front Page : State police find themselves on new battleground

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Sunday, Dec 07, 2008
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State police find themselves on new battleground

Raghava M.

‘You can’t expect a miracle from a short-staffed force’

‘It will take some time to realise results’
Police asked to liaison with paramilitary forces

BANGALORE: It is an extraordinary situation — a war of sorts — so how can you expect the police, trained to maintain law and order, to cope? Fighting terror is a specialist’s job something the police are not trained for.

This is what senior police officials feel while appreciating the slew of measures taken by the State Government to address the problems facing security.

“You cannot expect a miracle from a short-staffed police force. It will take some time to realise the results of the government’s action in increasing the police force and providing sophisticated training and weaponry. But it is good to see the political leadership thinking in the right direction,” a senior police officer told The Hindu.

Hitherto, the police constable entering the force was trained in crime detection and maintaining law and order. The extreme situation he has faced is communal disturbance. “He is not trained to handle those using grenades and sophisticated weapons such as AK-47. Even in Defence, it is a specialised force which is employed in tackling such extremists,” said another officer.

The police have started to impart training to young Karnataka State Reserve Police sharpshooters and combatants.

“It will take another five years to develop these men into a strong force,” the officer said.

The force has been working out ways to tackle this exigency. One such step is to draw from the various units of the armed forces and the paramilitary stationed in the State.

Police officers have been asked to liaison with the commandants of these units in an emergency.

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