NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised the chiefs of Central paramilitary forces and State police agencies to keep their websites regularly updated, remain active on the social media platforms and increase following on networking sites to improve the image and identity of police forces by exploiting such Internet-based media as a better interface with the common public.
The advice from the PM came during the Directors General of Police/ Inspectors General of Police Conference 2017 organised by the Intelligence Bureau earlier this month at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Following a directive from the PM in DGPs/IGPs conference 2016, a comparative study was conducted by the IB to assess the impact of the police websites which pointed out that many of the sites, including those from the Central forces were not even updated regularly. Likewise, the following on the social media platforms not even crossed the total number of rank and file of the respective forces.
During the DGPs conference which is attended by about 250 top police and Intelligence brass of the country, Modi told the officials that the policeman on the ground is just a physical identity of the police forces and the websites and along with the presence on the social media can go a long way in acting as a major interface with the masses and improve the identity and image of the police, said an official who attended the Conference.
During earlier conferences, the PM had advised the police chiefs to explore methods for improving the image and acceptance of the department to counter the prevailing trust deficit. The Centre has also been harping on with the States to inculcate soft skills amongst police officers and men with the help of domain experts outside police forces.
As part of the outreach, the Centre has advised the States police chiefs to identify schools/colleges where senior police officers can interact with students/youths for career enhancement and personality development. The Centre has also advised the police chiefs to devise a suitable mechanism in the police hierarchy so that Top-down flow of guidance and bottom-up flow of ideas is ensured. The move is expected to instil a sense of belongingness in the entire organisation.