Answer: Law and order is a state subject under the Constitution of India and the police have a primary role to uphold and enforce laws, investigate crimes, and ensure security for people in the country. Ineffective policing and a constant call for police reforms highlight the various problems in the work culture of the police in the country and how the police personnel are increasingly finding it difficult to maintain a work-life balance. The various issues pertaining to the work culture of the police are as follows:

• The issue of indecision and risk aversion: Indecision is a form of rational self-preservation that is exercised by police officials from the various legal and extra-legal risks to their person, careers, and reputation. These risks originate from problems of organizational design, institutional norms, and other political factors, which include political interference, penal transfers, promotions, and legal over-monitoring and inquiries.
• The issue of inefficiency:
  • The police force in most states is overburdened. Heavy workloads and extended shifts often affect their work-life balance.
  • The police officials are not adequately trained, they lack technical expertise, and tools to counter/monitor/investigate the cases, in the wake of advancement in the acts of crimes.
  • Promotion is tenure-based and politically motivated. There is a poor incentive for working hard. Also, compared to the private sector, the pay scale is low.
• The issue of lack of empathy:
  • Compassion fatigue is an undesirable consequence in professions where individuals are constantly dealing with vulnerability, tensions, crime, and exhaustion.
  • Insensitive handling of women and other vulnerable communities-related cases takes place because proper sensitization and regular training in human rights are not being provided.

In this regard, the state governments have adopted some of the institutional reforms as directed by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case. However, further improvements are required:

• To ensure that the state government does not exercise unwarranted pressure on the police, the dominance of government and police officials in the State Security Commission must be discouraged.
• Transfers, postings, promotions, and other service-related matters of police officers must be done through a merit-based transparent process.
• Police Complaints Authority (PCA) must be empowered to inquire into and monitor the public complaints against police officers in cases of serious misconduct, including custodial death, grievous hurt, or rape in police custody, within an appropriate time period.
• In order to encourage specialization and upgrade overall performance, there should be a gradual separation of investigative and law and order functions of the police.
• SMART i.e., strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive, and tech-savvy and trained police force should be created.

A happy and ethical work environment often sets the tone for the efficient functioning of its personnel. Today’s challenges not only need an advanced, well-trained, and modern police force but also a sensitive and empathetic unit.