Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, while appreciating the work of the Karnataka State Police as “efficient”, said the conviction rate and the quantum of punishment in crimes in the State was “not satisfactory”.
Speaking after inaugurating the annual IPS officers conclave on Monday, he said, “officers’ work does not end with detection of crimes, but they need to meticulously follow up on cases, ensure witnesses do not turn hostile,and get good convictions. The quantum of punishments being awarded in conviction cases is not satisfactory.”
He said all Superintendent of Police and above rank officers, including DG&IGP, need to have a dashboard through which they have to constantly monitor cases. “Judgments and observations made by the courts need to be studied and inculcated in upcoming investigations,” Mr. Bommai said.
The Chief Minister announced in the meeting that the government was mulling over introducing in-service mid-career training for police officials of all ranks, a first in the State. Presently, personnel are trained after recruitment and there are no further training modules available. “Police personnel need to upgrade their skills, including fighting new forms of crime like cyber crimes and to adopt technologies in investigation. We need to have an academic approach,” the Chief Minister reportedly said, adding a dedicated training institute for the purpose may come up in Belagavi.
Modalities of the mid-career training are yet to be worked out, a senior police official said. Training modules may be made mandatory after or before every promotion in the force, apart from specialised training modules based on one’s interest.
Beat system
Meanwhile, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the beat system in both rural and urban areas would be strengthened. “The Station House Officer will be held accountable for illegal activities in his/her jurisdiction. Our government has zero tolerance for gambling, drugs, sand mining, and other nefarious activities,” he said. Mr. Bommai also cautioned police officials from intervening in civil disputes.
