Early decades of twenty first century will continue to be haunted by the spectre of terrorism, though the theatres of action may shift from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. Increased political awareness and awakening of the masses will accentuate social tensions giving rise to wide variety of disorders. Crime will increase in numbers and variety and will become more sophisticated. The need of the our is to prepare the police in India to meet these challenges by restructuring, reorienting, re-equipping and retraining. A Five Year Police Development Plan, 1984-1989, financed and executed by the Central Government is the answer.

India is poised to take a quantum leap in Social, Economic and Industrial Development in the twenty first century. To do so, peace, tranquillity and stable social conditions in the country are essential. Are we preparing the Police in India to ensure these? Past events have proved that police were inadequately prepared to meet the threats posed by Terrorism, Secessionism, widespread disorders and sophisticated crime. We paid a heavy price in human lives for this benign neglect. Let not the history repeat itself.

Let us identify with the help of social and political scientists and police professionals, the future tasks and challenges for the police and prepare a comprehensive Five Year Plan to retrain, reorient, re-equip and restructure the police organisation to give better results. We have enough time, as a twenty first century is eight years away. The plan could be prepared in 1993 and implemented in 1994-1998 and we will still have two years left to correct the distortions in implementation.

Let there be a National Consensus and non-partisan approach to the Development of Police in India. A comprehensive plan would need massive financial outlay. As the central government is responsible for National Security, this plan will have to be implemented by the centre under its aegis as a central project. If need be, finances for this plan could be raised through, tax free, ‘SURAKSHA BONDS’. People will be only too happy to help the government by subscribing to these bonds.

Future Scenario : Based on national and international trends, terrorism will continue to be our Main problem, though the theatres of action may shift from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. External powers will aid and abet political malcontents to take to destructive methods in order to deflect India from her part to progress. Increased political awareness and awakening of the masses will accentuate social tensions between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ resulting in violent political movements in rural areas; labour unrest; caste conflicts and communal tension. Urbanisation and Megapolises will provide opportunities for lawless elements in slums and ghettos to create disorder. Social disorder is an essential concomitant of economic development and situations affecting order and peace will manifest themselves.

Economic prosperity will create more opportunities for conventional crime. New types of crime like white collar, organised, computer, drug related, white slave traffic, industrial espionage and sabotage and others will emerge. Plethora of social and regulatory legislations will result in large scale violations of the same and law enforcement will become difficult.

Better economic, social and living conditions and total literacy will make people aware of their rights and privileges resulting in the actions of police being questioned at all stages. Meek obedience and compliance to Law will become the thing of the past.

All these would call for higher standards of policing, better personnel, training, attitudes, equipment and mobility for police.

Law enforcement would need sophistication and finesse and police would be forced by these developments to become ‘people-friendly’. The requirements of professional and technical knowledge for police personnel would be vast and varied and police training institutions alone can not meet these demands. Universities and Educational Institutions should establish and offer programmes in Law Enforcement at graduate and post-graduate levels to prepare the prospective entrants to police service with pre-entry educational inputs. Police training institutions will have to upgrade their curricula and systems to include more scientific and technological inputs to cover forensic science, computers, simulators and technical aids to investigation. To equip police personnel with proper psychological attitudes and to make them eschew violence and respect Human Rights, adequate behavioural science inputs are to be provided in the training programmes.

Organisational Problems : Police personnel of the future will have better educational standards and awareness of their rights and privileges. It will not be possible for the political and police leadership to drive them to undertake illegal tasks in the garb of discipline. They would demand living wages, adequate amenities, career advancement etc. Denial of these would result in police unrest and unionisation. Police leadership will have to change their ‘styles’ and utilise better management and interpersonal skills to motivate and get the best out of their personnel.

Standard of policing is the barometer of the quality of life in a society. People should take active interest in the functioning of the police organisation and assist them to provide better services. Better police-public relations are to be fostered by public spirited citizens and the media.

Political leadership can play a vital role in the transformation of police into a public service organisation, by replacing the Police Act of 186 with a futuristic legislation to enable the police to shed its colonial past and anti-people image and play a positive role in society. By providing police organisation with the required finances to get better personnel and equipment, quality of public service rendered by the police can be improved. By keeping police away from political interference and political exploitation, public accountability of the police as ‘social workers in uniform’ will be established.

The need of the hour is to take positive action to usher in a people-friendly and efficient police organisation, well equipped and oriented to meet the challenges of the twenty first century.