Phenomenon of high casualties among police personnel must be probed and addressed
15th July, 2020
Two Major incidents of police atrocities:
Two Haryana Police constables were murdered.
Eight police personnel of Uttar Pradesh police were killed in the line of duty in the Vikas Dubey case.
Data:
Death of more than 35000 soldiers in 1947-2019 periods.
Reasons behind it:
Inadequate training: As per Lokniti Survey, only 6.4 per cent of police constables had received training in the last five years and this number has constantly decreased over the years.
Fatigue among police personnel:
Police personnel, on average, remain on duty for more than 13 to 14 hours.
Fatigue has been negatively associated with reaction time, watchfulness, focus, situational awareness and psychometric synchronisation.
Stress :
Job Stress
Situational Stress
Inadequate preparation for low probability events
Underestimation of the threats
A lack of special drills and greater reliance on district police instead of special units such as armed battalions and STF (special task force).
Reduced force visibility
Fear of collateral damage: police personnel are usually very reticent in using firearms in neighbourhood operations as it may result in damage to civilian life and property.
Breach of confidentiality within the force: Criminals having prior access to information make the police’s task more difficult.