Police – Training, Modernisation and Reforms Report: Make police plaints authority free from cops: House panel

What is the News?

The Parliamentary Panel on Home Affairs has submitted a report in Rajya Sabha titled  ‘Police – Training, Modernisation and Reforms’.

What are the key findings and recommendations of the report?

Police Complaint Authority

Most States and UTs have constituted police complaint authorities at the state and district levels. But most of these are headed by senior police officers. 

However, there exist some exceptions, with Odisha having conferred the functions of police complaint authority on Lokpal and Punjab posting a retired chief secretary-level officer as head of its central police complaint authority.

Recommendation: The report has recommended that a Police Complaint Authority should be independent of the state police and should comprise retired HC judges, ex-bureaucrats and jurists as members, besides having representation of women.

Moreover, the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) can assess the effectiveness of the independent police complaint authority in the states by checking whether the complaints against police personnel have gone up or reduced, types of complaints received and action taken.

The shortfall in Police Officers

There is a 21% shortfall in the actual strength of state police forces.

Hence, it has recommended the Centre to advise states to conduct recruitment drives in a mission mode.

Use of Drones

The report has expressed concerns on the use of drones to commit crimes and transport drugs and arms, particularly in Punjab and J&K which share an international border with Pakistan. 

Hence, it has recommended the Centre to create a central pool of anti-drone technology and give states/UTs access to it.

Source: This post is based on the article “Make police plaints authority free from cops: House panel” published in TOI on 14th Feb 2022.