51. Matters to be examined at inspections. [§ 12, Act V, 1861].
(a)The chief object of an inspection is to see that the police are working properly for the control and prevention of crime; and inspecting officers should therefore pay particular attention to the following :-(i)the conduct of investigations ;(ii)the collection of information about criminals ;(iii)the local progress of crime;(iv)the application of preventive measures ;(v)the employment of the village police; and(vi)co-operation with Panchayats, union boards and the public.(b)Registers, records, clothing, equipment, furniture and buildings should be examined in order to see that they are in good order, that rules are observed, that economy is practised, and money well spent, that correspondence and orders receive prompt attention, that registers and papers are duly classified and that old papers are not allowed to accumulate.(c)All inspecting officers must realise that they are responsible not only for issuing necessary -orders but for seeing that they are carried out; they shall invariably ascertain and state whether the remarks made at the preceding inspection have received due attention. If they have been neglected, the officers at fault should be brought to account.(d)Inspections should be helpful. The object of an inspection is not merely to look for faults and defects, but to obtain a clear idea of the position as regards crime and criminals and to give the officer inspected the benefit of the wider view and greater experience of the inspecting officer.(e)An officer can dispose of many matters more effectively on the spot during an inspection than at headquarters by written orders. The Superintendent shall keep a file of such matters for each police-station and deal with them when he inspects the station.(f)An inspecting officer should see that the inspections of officers subordinate to him have been regular and to the point, and should mention this in his inspection note. The Deputy Inspector-General of a Range in particular shall record a note regarding the inspections made by the Superintendent and shall comment on any irregularity or defect in this respect when he forwards the annual report of the district.(g)The Deputy Inspector-General of a Range shall report in his inspection note upon the drill, discipline and training of the Special Armed Force and of those officers of the Unarmed Police who are from time to time brought into headquarters. He shall test the proficiency of the Superintendent and of Assistant and Deputy Superintendents in drill and in the work of the Reserve office. He shall not merely hold one general inspection parade but pay special attention to the individual work and training of all the officers in the Special Armed Force.(h)In making his inspections, the Superintendent shall be careful to observe the extent of the supervision and control exercised by the Circle Inspector and the nature of his inspections. The Inspector has a small area under his charge, and possesses every advantage in knowledge of the language, the people, and the details of his work. Serious defects in the state of discipline or in the character of the work done imply a failure of duty on his part, unless he can show that he has already done his best to correct what is wrong. This responsibility shall always be brought home to him.(i)As the area under a Circle Inspector is smaller than that under a Superintendent or an Assistant or Deputy Superintendent and his duties keep him less at headquarters, his inspections shall be more detailed and thorough than theirs. It is his duty at an inspection not to criticise but to help, to instruct and to act: he should therefore when inspecting a police-station -(i)first, acquaint himself with the local circumstances by examining the available records; and(ii)next, help the officer-in-charge in dealing with the problems disclosed by the examination. In doing so he shall be careful himself to avoid the mistake of thinking that all crime against property is committed by local criminals only, and he shall be on the lookout for foreigners also. The register of unidentified persons and other records will enable him to ascertain what foreigners have been convicted or suspected of crimes within his charge.(j)Inspectors and officers of higher rank should frequently examine the staff of police posts including Court offices as to their knowledge of regulations 237, 327, 328 and 329. Prisoners who may be in the hajat when a police post or Court office is visited should, if time permits, be given the opportunity of making representations regarding their treatment if they wish to do so. When inspecting police posts and Court offices, officers by an inspection of the records and otherwise should ascertain as far as possible whether the rules mentioned above have been followed and should note the result in their inspection notes. They should, in particular, when, occasion offers, make enquires to ascertain whether prisoners while in hajat have been properly treated.
