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Duties
of Police Officers
Before discussing duties
we must also remember that the police is a
part of the society as members of the police
are recruited from the very society that it
serves and reflect its work ethic and moral
values. Besides being the strong arm of the
government it is generally the visible
representation of the Government. After
independence , the charter of police service
extends beyond the routine duties of crime
prevention and investigation and maintaining
public order to a broader objective of the
welfare of the individual and society at
large.
The role , duties and responsibilities
of a police officer are laid down in
various statutes and an attempt has been
made to enumerate them in Chapter IV of
the Bihar Police Act,2007. Some of the
duties are enumerated below but one must
remember that these are the general
duties and there are specific duties for
each rank of police officer which are
laid down in the Police Manual. The
order of importance of duties enumerated
changes depending on the circumstances:-
- Upholding the dignity of the
individual by safeguarding his
constitutional and legal rights
- Safeguarding the fabric of the
society and unity and integrity of
the Nation
- Enforcing law impartially
- Investigating crimes ,
apprehending offenders and bringing
them to justice
- Identifying situations and
problems likely to result in
commission of crimes
- Reducing opportunities for
commission of crimes through
preventive measures
- Aiding and cooperating with
other relevant agencies in
implementing other appropriate
measures for prevention of crimes
- Aiding individuals who are in
danger of physical harm.
- Creating and maintaining a
feeling of security in the community
- Counseling and resolution of
conflicts and promoting amity
- Providing other appropriate
services and affording relief to
people in distress
- Collection of intelligence in
matters affecting public peace and
crimes
- Educating members of the society
to protect themselves and their
property
- Enhancing society's
understanding of the functions of
the police
- Mediation in inter-personal and
inter-group conflicts , conflict
management and crisis intervention
- Protection of weaker sections of
the society
- Helping in natural calamities ,
emergencies and disasters as the
first responders
- Agency of the last resort in all
matters
- Counseling juvenile delinquents,
school children, unemployed youth,
drug addicts, spouses and others in
distress
- Enforcement of social
legislations
- Maintaining effective working
relations with every sub system of
criminal justice system
- Continuously updating training
and operating procedures of the
agency
- Keeping organization at high
pitch of efficiency
- Bridging gap between stability
and requirement of change
-
...........................................
The list goes on
............................... and you
thought it was such an easy
job!!!!!!!!!!. Isn't blaming police for
all the ills plaguing the society much
easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"The policeman is denounced by the
public, criticised by the preacher,
ridiculed by the movies, berated by
the newspapers and unsupported by
the Prosecuting Officers and Judges.
He is shunned by the respectables.
He is exposed to countless
temptations and dangers, condemned
while he enforces the law and
dismissed when he does not. He is
supposed to possess the
qualifications of a Soldier, Doctor,
Lawyer, Diplomat and Educator with
remuneration less than that of a
daily wager."- ----------
August Volllmore
Police works in a very complex environment and
before detailing the duties and responsibilities
of the police one needs to appreciate some of
the dimensions relevant to police in our
changing society:-
-
Increased pace of rapid
urbanization and industrialization
-
Upsurge in white-collar
crimes , organized crimes , economic
offences and mass violence
-
Social Disorganization ,
anomie and lawlessness leading to high rate
of juvenile delinquency , alcoholism ,
permissiveness and social disorder.
-
Public protests and
demonstrations on a mass scale
-
Acceleration in mobility
giving birth to new patterns of law breakers
and criminals
-
Higher aspirations
leading to youth frustration
-
Declining standards of
morality and degeneration of ethical values
-
Cross border terrorism ,
narco terrorism and naxal extremism
-
Increasing involvement of
young educated people and females in
criminal activities
-
Increasing tendency of
criminals to get armed and resorting to
violence
-
Increase in cyber crimes
, piracy and other organized economic
offences
-
Increase in social
corruption and erosion of social values
-
Increase in caste and
communal conflicts due to fragmentation of
social structure and value
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