Deputy CM Y Patton highlights major reforms in Nagaland Police

Kohima, 4 May (MTNews): Nagaland Government has set up a High Level Committee headed by the DGP Nagaland, Rupin Sharma IPS to look into the restructuring and reorganization of Nagaland Police, said Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Home and Border Affairs, Yanthungo Patton during a press conference held today at the Conference Hall PHQ, Kohima.

Patton said that while the state police have grown in numbers, there is an urgent need to make it more efficient on functional and operational lines so that it can effectively deal with current problems as well as for the future.

He also pointed out that almost 75% of the Nagaland Police are predominantly armed police centric with Battalions and armed branches. According to him, this may have been a requirement in the past but with changing times, there is a pressing need to re-orient and refocus on the investigation and related functions like forensic and prosecution etc.

“Modern policing is more about establishing the supremacy of the law through investigation and law enforcement rather than by brute force. Criminals should know that they would be brought to book and for that, the Nagaland Police needs to be ready and prepared,” he said.

Adding to this, Nagaland Home Minister also said that numerous posts and branches have been created without proper allocation of commensurate resources and often such posts and the officers assigned have remained virtually non-functional.

“There is a pressing need to rectify such situations so that the faith and trust of the public and society can be established and enhanced,” added Patton.

200 Body Guards withdrawn, done with Confinement to Quarter Guard

The home minister also informed that as per his earlier direction, the PHQ has been carrying out an exercise reducing the deployment of Body Guards and Static Guards and so far, the department has withdrawn almost 200 Body Guards. He said this will be an ongoing exercise and Static Guards are also being rationalized.

The Home Minister taking note of the department facing shortage of vehicles for law and order duties directed PHQ to withdraw vehicles attached to retired officers, especially those attached for more than 3 months and requested the retired officers to co-operate towards this exercise in the interest of public service.

Calling ‘Confinement to Quarter Guard’ an “excessive punishment” and “inhumane”, Patton informed that Nagaland Police has decided to do away with the old method of confinement of police personnel to quarter guard for disciplinary reasons.

“When any personnel is of imminent danger to his own life or others, he may be confined to quarter guards and in such case, immediate FIR shall be lodged at the nearest Police Station by the immediate Supervisory Officer or the Unit Commander,” he said.

Patton pointed out that police personnel being absent from their duty stations without due leave are acts of misconduct, dereliction of duty and indiscipline which in turn affects the command and control of the senior officers adversely especially when senior officers are themselves absent from duty stations.

In this regard, he directed the DGP and PHQ to report unreasonable absentees from duties so that appropriate actions are initiated against those erring police personnel.

143 arrests since “War on Drugs”

In furtherance of Prime Minister and Union Home Minister’s ‘Nasha Mukt Abhiyaan’, the state police has registered 101 cases and arrested 143 criminals, he said, adding that the arrested persons include six police personnel.

Patton also raised his concerns, mentioning that scientific aid to investigation is one crucial area of concern for conviction of drug traffickers; the department felt the need to upgrade and update the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Unit. Towards this, he said the Police department must come up with tangible proposals and suggestions and assured the State Government’s commitment to extend all possible help in this major concern.

Patton also directed the DGP to quickly complete departmental enquiries against the police personnel arrested to send the message of ‘zero tolerance’ in society.

He also informed that the state police have set up an Anti-Narcotics Task Force both at the state level with state-wide jurisdiction and in the districts to focus on this problem.

The Deputy CM also asked the DGP to carry out screening of police personnel having issues of substance abuse in the department so that suitable disciplinary and if deemed fit, criminal actions will be taken against them.