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8. The police are insensitive towards victims of violent crimes. They sometimes behave rudely with victims, as if they are responsible for their fate.
9. At least a section of policemen think of human rights as antithetical to effective law enforcement. They blame the law, lawyer and courts for their own inefficiency.
10. Of late, some policemen have publicly shown leniency towards fundamentalists and terrorists.
It is not the intention of the Court to prosper evidence or argument to prove or disprove any of above perception. However, no honest person within or outside the police could totally deny the aforementioned causes. Of course, they can give alibi and explanation that may or may not be acceptable to the public. Well thinking person should acknowledge the existence of such perception in a wide spectrum of the citizenry and must work out strategies to remove them progressively in the interest of public services and professionalism. Those who do not want the situation to change will continue to provide excuses and explanation accusing others in society or in the criminal justice system for the malady. The tragedy is that unlike other departments of the government, if police tends to become lawless, the very foundation of democracy is in jeopardy, development subverted and the countrys integrity compromised. Hence, there is urgency to reform the police and their style of functioning. A lot can be achieved by exchanging public perception and improving strength of police, if the leadership within the police organization is fully committed to reform. After all, every profession has the primary responsibility to discipline its members and maintain a code of ethical behavior by internal mechanisms and by peer group. The police are intrinsically disciplined and superior command and have lot of power and control over their subordinates. If this situation is to be put to good use, the superior should be above board and transparent in their dealing. It is essential that reform in the
organization starts from above and clear signal of good behavior are sent down to all the rank. Organizational behavior is largely the outcome of training and continuing education. Police training is archaic in content and method. The emphasis is still more on muscle than on the mind. Human rights, if at all, form an insignificant module in the training programme and there is hardly any emphasis on human right in the training of Constables, who form 85 percent of the posts. A subculture, inimical to democratic policing, pervades the organization and is perpetrated due to indifference or connivance of senior. Respect for human right is not rewarded. If the leadership itself is doubtful about the imperatives of human right in policing, and if they disregard its importance in the training of subordinate officer, it is pointless to expect change in the behavior of ordinary Sub-Inspector and Constable. Another reform that can be brought about by the police themselves is with respect to the adoption of fair, quick and responsible methods of redress for complaint against the police. The system has to be institutionalized and integrated with police role and responsibility. According to an old adage, every society gets the police it deserves. After all policemen come from the same society and reflect the attitude and behavior that is found in society. How respectful is the average citizen with regard to human right of fellow citizens? The void resulting from the lack of a clear cut grade for police conduct was filled in 1960 when a Code of Conduct for the police was adopted on the recommendations of the Conference of I.G.Ps through the I.B (MHA). Said code has been adopted to raise the ethical standards in police services and raises its professional standing. The Code with its explanation is the corner stone for Police Officer in India. Certain silent feature of the same read as under: