Two Major incidents of police atrocities:

• Two Haryana Police constables were murdered.
• Eight police personnel of Uttar Pradesh police were killed in the line of duty in the Vikas Dubey case.

Data:

• Death of more than 35000 soldiers in 1947-2019 periods.

Reasons behind it:

• Inadequate training: As per Lokniti Survey, only 6.4 per cent of police constables had received training in the last five years and this number has constantly decreased over the years.
• Fatigue among police personnel:
  • Police personnel, on average, remain on duty for more than 13 to 14 hours.
  • Fatigue has been negatively associated with reaction time, watchfulness, focus, situational awareness and psychometric synchronisation.
• Stress :
  • Job Stress
  • Situational Stress
• Inadequate preparation for low probability events
• Underestimation of the threats
• A lack of special drills and greater reliance on district police instead of special units such as armed battalions and STF (special task force).
• Reduced force visibility
• Fear of collateral damage: police personnel are usually very reticent in using firearms in neighbourhood operations as it may result in damage to civilian life and property.
• Breach of confidentiality within the force: Criminals having prior access to information make the police’s task more difficult.

Way Forward:

• Increased emphasis on training,
• Psychological assessments,
• Creation of specialised units,
• Positive reinforcement,
• Motivation contagion modules,
• Separate legal insurance,
• Increase in Police Personnel
• Bringing 8 hour duty culture in the police force

Reference: https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/police-killed-in-line-of-duty-casualty-rate-6505954/

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