SHIMLA: Public security is the responsibility of state police and an introspection is needed on why people do not trust them, former Director of Intelligence Bureau P.C. Haldar said on Friday.
Haldar was here to deliver a lecture to mark the raising day of the Himachal Pradesh Police.
He said police-public relations suffer from a significant lack of trust and a persisting perception about its credibility and fairness in delivering security and safety to citizens.
Haldar said the community policing talked a lot but yet to become an integral part of normal policing.
"Engagement with civil society in coping with these challenges has not seen much growth. However, the community remains a valuable resource even in this century."
He said many of the challenges before police were not new but had gathered added momentum as these were now technology enabled and technological development had made it tough to find out wrongdoers.
However, the role of local police became critically important to cope up with the challenges.
"Evolving perception of national security now includes both external and internal dimensions. Almost every incident that challenges or threatens national security manifests as a crime at the grassroots."
He said internal security challenges develop through three broad phases of incubation, manifestation and mitigation and the police functions as a manager of consequences of short comings in other sectors.
Delhi-based Institute of Conflict Management Executive Director Ajay Sahni said the police and allied agencies had been facing a tremendous pressure during the last decade at architectural and fundamental level.
He stressed upon the need of police modernisation in a phased manner and special attention was always needed in this direction. He also underlined the need to improve the capabilities through trainings and other modes.
Sahni said police-population ratios were severely inadequate, and probably exaggerated, at 150.75 per lakh on the average for the country as against a projected desirable ratio of 220 per lakh for peacetime policing.
He said police capacities and capabilities in terms of the skills and profiles of personnel, in terms of equipment and technology, and crucially in terms of status and welfare were far below the acceptable standards.
State Director General Somesh Goel briefed about the various activities organised during the two-day long raising day celebrations.