Ashikho Pfuzhe
Dimapur | November 14
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has said that there is a pressing requirement for a more humane approach to policing and better adaptation of the Police to the changing times and requirements. “It is time for the Police to shed its imperial image and begin to perform its duties with a more sensitive and humane approach”, the chief minister said in his inaugural address at the general conference of Nagaland Police Service Association (NPSA) held at Police Complex, Chumukedima, on Wednesday.
Rio said these qualities have to be imbibed from the very beginning of entry into service and constantly built up throughout the careers of the police officers.
Terming the Police as the cutting edge of law enforcement and administration, he also reminded that police officers being the immediate interface of the government machinery with the general public, they play a key role in shaping the perceptions that the public have of any government.
Rio said the concept of administration and maintenance of law and order has undergone a sea change in the modern day mainly because of the increasingly complexity of society and resulting rise in crimes, which have become more sophisticated and complex. In the face of all these, the chief minister said the state police is also struggling to keep up pace with the changing times.
On the other hand, Rio also said that there is an immediate need to trim down the state police force to a “leaner and more professional force through skill upgradation, capacity building and technology advancements.”
It may be mentioned Nagaland Police with 26,767 personnel in its payroll has one of the highest police personnel to population ratio in the country (1:74).
The chief minister also said the trend of increasing politicization of postings of police officers without adequate regard for quality and performance is a matter of serious concern, one which would ultimately erode the quality and image of the service.
Making a passing reference to DAN government’s tenure coming to an end in a few months and assembly election round the corner, Rio said DAN government has always been receptive to the grievances of the state police to provide career progression opportunities for state police service cadre.
Home Minister Imkong L Imchen who also addressed the conference, lauded the police force for their dedication and commitment in maintaining law and order, despite the difficult nature of policing in a state like Nagaland with unresolved political issues and problems.
More than a hundred police officers (DSP rank and above) attended the conference.
