THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an apparent move to make “compassion” the bedrock of the force’s interactions with the public, the state government has given administrative sanction to the revised training syllabus for newly recruited sub-inspectors and constables of the Police Training Academy in Thrissur.
One batch has already undergone training based on the new syllabus, which was introduced on the instruction of the state police chief, who found the old curriculum to be inadequate to deal with the modern-day requirements of the police. Since it required emergency action, it was taught without the prior consent of the state government.
New recruits will now be imparted lessons in soft skills and technology. As part of developing soft skills, trainees will be instructed on “compassionate communication and intervention”. The module envisages developing communication skills to deal with the public in an empathetic manner.
The module was incorporated into the syllabus on the basis of the growing outcry to modernise the force and to usher in reforms that will help shed its colonial-era image,” an officer, who is part of the training team, said. According to the officer, behavioural aspects have been included in the module for the first time.
“Our old syllabus required the officers to learn laws, police rules and acts, criminal procedure code, etc. There were no lessons on behavioural aspects. Now, we have included lessons on how to behave with the public and the general attitude the cops should be having while dealing with the public,” the officer added. Another noticeable change in the syllabus is a module on gender-sensitisation.
This has been included with the objective of creating an awareness of gender-inequality issues and to educate cops on issues faced by the transgender community. Mindful life management skills have also been included to equip the cops to better deal with mental stress.
Apart from soft skills, new recruits are being imparted technical training in static-image search, blockchain and cyber investigation. The Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) is involved in this segment of the programme.