Reasons of Police Reforms

Police reforms in India are initiated to address systemic issues within the law enforcement system. These reforms aim to enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency in policing. Key reasons include combating corruption, improving responsiveness to citizens, modernizing outdated practices, ensuring human rights compliance, and enhancing overall public trust in the police. Reforms often focus on organizational structure, training, and the use of technology to bring about positive changes in the functioning of the police force. Let’s discuss the main reasons of Police Reform in India:

• Low ratio of police to population: In India, there are 120 police officers for every 100,000 people, compared to an average of 270 worldwide. India’s population is the least safe on the planet, with few and ill-equipped police who are mostly assigned to guard political figures.
• Corruption: The vigilance agency looked into its men 55% more in 2016 than in 2015. According to a poll by the Delhi Police, only 34% of officers were corrupt in 2015, down from 66% in 2014.
• The evolution of crime: The nature, scope, and speed of crime are rapidly changing due to recent social and technological advances fueled by the internet and new social media, resulting in unprecedented levels of lawlessness and terrifying global terrorism.
• Police misbehavior: The public’s trust in the police has been damaged by the absence of efficient accountability procedures and regular performance reviews. Citizens’ lack of trust in the police is demonstrated by a recent mob attack on officers.
• Insufficient technological capacity: Poor police investigation quality is one of the causes of India’s low conviction rate. Police lack the sophisticated technology tools needed to conduct thorough investigations.
• Insensitive: Low representation of women and the downtrodden caste makes them unsympathetic to them. Caste tensions, particularly the most recent Dalit revolt, and farmer hardships across the nation are leading to an increase in violence.
• Overburdened: In addition to their primary duty of upholding law and order, police officers also control traffic, provide disaster relief, and clear encroachments. These additional responsibilities cause the police force to be overworked, which has a severe impact on their effectiveness and performance.

The Indian police system, a vital component of the country’s law enforcement framework, plays a crucial role in maintaining public order and ensuring the safety of its citizens. Police are expected to carry out their tasks in a way that respects democratic ideals, human rights, and the rule of law. It also strives to enhance police relations with other security-related entities, including the judiciary and correctional systems, as well as executive, parliamentary, and independent agencies with management or supervision responsibilities. However, like many institutions, it faces challenges that necessitate comprehensive reforms. This article explores the current state of the Indian police system and outlines potential reforms to enhance its effectiveness.