Kohima, May 4: Nagaland’s Deputy Chief Minister, Home, Border Affairs Yanthungo Patton highlighted certain issues concerning the Police Department in Nagaland Today at PHQ kohima.
Addressing the media persons and police officials, Patton said the Nagaland Government has set up a High Level Committee headed by the DGP Nagaland, Rupin Sharma IPS to look into the restructuring and reorganization of Nagaland Police.
The State Police has grown in numbers but there is an urgent need to make it more efficient on functional and operational lines so that it can effectively deal with current problems as well as for the future.
The Nagaland Police is predominantly armed police centric with the NAP-IR Battalions and armed branch comprising almost 75%. “This may have been a requirement in the past but with changing times, we need to re-orient and re-focus on the investigation and related functions like forensic and prosecution etc,” he said.
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Our manpower and resource allocations are skewed towards armed police duties and not towards investigation and law enforcement. He mentioned that in the past, numerous posts and branches have been created without proper allocation of commensurate resources and often such posts and the officers assigned have remained virtually non-functional. Hence, there is a pressing need to rectify such situations so that the faith and trust of the public and society can be established and enhanced, Patton said.
Modern policing is more about establishing the supremacy of the law through investigation and law enforcement rather than by brute force. Criminals should know that they would be brought to book and for that the Nagaland Police needs to be ready and prepared, he said.
He also asked the public to give workable and genuine suggestions so that together we can improve the department, the law and order in the State and create an environment for better development and economic activity for everyone.
War on Drugs:
Patton said the DGP Nagaland and Nagaland Police have launched a war on drugs during the last four months. During this period, systematic efforts have been undertaken to arrest criminals and disrupt the drug peddling and trafficking networks.
In furtherance of the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister’s Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan, the State Police has registered 101 Cases and arrested 143 Number of criminals from various parts of the North- east.
The arrested persons include 06 Number of police personnel also. We have also issued preventive detention orders for 07 (seven) persons under the PITSNDPS Act which allows the State Government to put traffickers and peddlers under preventive detention.
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This has been done to disrupt the trafficking networks. Deterrence and prevention of criminal acts needs parallel attention from the law enforcing agency. Scientific aid to investigation is one crucial area of concern for conviction of drug traffickers.
“We need to upgrade and update our FSL Unit and for which the Police department has to come up with tangible proposals and suggestions. Our Government under the leadership of the Chief Minister Shri. Neiphiu Rio is committed to extend all possible help in this major concern,” Patton said.
Meanwhile, Patton said that the State Police has set up an Anti-Narcotics Task Force booth at the state level with state-wide jurisdiction and in the districts to focus on this problem.
Patton also informed that he has directed the DGP Nagaland to quickly complete departmental enquiries against the police personnel arrested. After enquiring every detail, the department will send a message of zero tolerance in the society.
Patton also said that he had directed DGP to carry out screening of Police personnel having issues of substance abuse in the department so that suitable disciplinary and if deemed fit, criminal actions will be taken against them.
Unauthorized absence from duty:
Patton said a number of Police personnel of all ranks are often found absent from duty without due permission or leave from duty and duty stations. These are acts of misconduct, dereliction of duty and indiscipline. Therefore, it is essential and a must that officers and staff remain at their duty stations.
DGP and PHQ should report un-reasonable absentees from duties so that appropriate actions are initiated against those erring police personnel, he added.
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Confinement to Quarter Guard:
It is observed that there was a practice of confining erring and delinquent Police personnel to Unit Quarter Guards which was a method of punishment and dealing with indiscipline. However, confinement to Quarter Guard is an excessive punishment and inhumane. Therefore, the Nagaland Police has decided to do away with the old method of confinement of police personnel to quarter guard for disciplinary reasons, Patton said.
Nevertheless, when any personnel is of imminent danger to his own life or others, he may be confined to quarter guards and in such case, immediate FIR shall be lodged at the nearest Police Station by the immediate Supervisory Officer or the Unit Commander, he added.
Body Guards:
Patton said the PHQ has been carrying out an exercise reducing the deployment of BodyGuards and Static Guards. Although it is an ongoing exercise, the department has so far withdrawn almost 200 BodyGuards. Static Guards are also being rationalized.
Government Vehicles with retired Officers: The department is facing a shortage of vehicles for law and order duties. Therefore, the PHQ will undertake an exercise to withdraw vehicles attached to retired officers, especially those attached for more than 3 months after retirement. Requesting the retired officers to cooperate towards this exercise in the interest of public services.
It is also observed that some vehicles which were condemned and allotted to various people have still not changed the registration numbers and are still using Police stickers. All such vehicles should re-registered immediately otherwise, they are liable to be confiscated whether they are using old numbers or are being run unregistered or on Applied for. All these apparent exercises or initiatives being undertaken by the Police Department are in the interest and for the welfare of the people as a whole.
He therefore made a clarion call to all concerned to extend full cooperation so that together we can make the State a better place to live in.
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