BENGALURU: Staff crunch in governmental departments is nothing new and the same is the case with the Bengaluru city police. With the growing population and proportionately increasing number of crimes, there is an imminent need to strengthen the city police force to make it future-ready. It was provisioned in the recent state budget to create 2,454 new posts for the city police alone. But is it enough for the safety and security of the city and its people is the question.
The sanctioned strength of the city police is about 22,000, while the actual strength is around 19,000. This includes the law and order, crime and traffic police besides the city armed reserve personnel. For a city, which has a population of around 1.3 crore plus the floating population, the numbers are less, say experts. As per the BDA’s Revised Master Plan, which is being reworked now, the city may have a population of 2.3 crore by 2031.
Former DG&IGP ST Ramesh suggested that there should be a realistic 5-year perspective plan, covering all parameters such as personnel, police stations, mobility, technology, communication equipment, armed reserve personnel etc with the adequate budget support. He noted that as the population grows, it’s not merely about the population but the government has to consider increased numbers of schools and colleges, vehicles, industries, entertainment avenues, road networks and other aspects that come with a growing population.
“A 5-year perspective plan for the state police was prepared in the 1980s. Now that we have a better idea about how the city will grow and the tools to envision it, the government must consult with people and experts and come up with a realistic and comprehensive plan to meet future challenges,” Ramesh added.
Stating that the city police is ‘terribly understaffed’, former ADGP Bhaskar Rao, who served as city police commissioner, stressed the need for a Safety Commission to envisage a plan for the safety of citizens. “Safety and security of individuals are paramount and the police in a city like Bengaluru should be kept in high-level of readiness to contain any kind of threat.
It is high time that policymakers do away with legacy policing and focus on preparing the staff to take on the challenges of the new age. There should be a comprehensive plan to strengthen the police force and there should be an overhaul in the training process and empower every policeman.”
City Police Commissioner B Dayananda said, “Recruitment and upgradation keep happening as per the requirement and the government’s decision to create 2,454 posts for city police will add to the strength.”