What is the need of police in the democracy? What are the police reforms required in India?

Democracy is the only system of governance that, guarantees the freedom of people and the police as an only institution to protect and curtail the citizenry‘s excesses. The police, in any society are the most visible representative of the state‘s power. They serve as the backbone of the state‘s peace and tranquility Some of the key roles of the police in the democracy are as follows: 

Firstly, the police are expected to be in the front line of defence of not only human rights but in defending our nascent democracy. 

Secondly, the police make effective communication between the commoners and law and order. 

Thirdly, police takes political, social, and psychological decisions under the radar of democratic nature of Indian society.

What is the need for police reforms in India?

The first thing to note here is that police‘ is a state‘ subject. Nevertheless, there are a number of different problems that plague the institution in all the states.

Today, police have become the subjects of Parliamentarians and legislators with a high degree of politicization and allegiance towards ruling party.

The global average ratio of police-population is 270 to 100,000, where it‘s 120 in India.

With far less man power and ill-equipped, people of India are the least secured people on the globe. There is lack of effective accountability mechanisms.  The lack of effective accountability mechanisms and periodic review of performance has misplaced the public‘s confidence in the police. Due to corruption in the police system, the investigation process goes on for decades. 

What are the police reforms required in India?

Primarily, there should be a balance ought to be stroked between allowing the freedom of an individual and the enforcement of all the lawful laws of the society.

To strengthen the lacking effectiveness of the police force, the government comes up with the following initiatives:

Recently, an Umbrella Scheme, Modernisation of Police Forces‘, has been cleared, with the government. 

It is said to be one of the biggest moves towards police modernisation in India.