An Evaluation of the Community Policing Programme in Kerala June 2013 KERALA CENTRE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. TABLE OF CONTENT Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION AND METHDOLOGY .......................................................................... 7 Introduction: ............................................................................................................................... 7 Research Methodology: .............................................................................................................. 8 The Sample .................................................................................................................................. 8 Focus Group Discussions ............................................................................................................. 9 Limitations of the Study ............................................................................................................ 10 Chapter II: THE BEAT PROCESS ..................................................................................................... 12 The impact of JANAMAITRI on Law and Order and Crime ....................................................... 12 Have Problems Increased or Decreased through the Janamaitri programme? ....................... 14 Social Interventions through Janamaitri: .................................................................................. 15 Personal Interventions through Janamaitri .............................................................................. 19 Activities taken up under JSP .................................................................................................... 22 Views of Local People on Police Interventions: ........................................................................ 23 Beat Visits and House Visits ...................................................................................................... 28 The Need for Effective Communication: .................................................................................. 31 House Visits ............................................................................................................................... 32 Process of making House Visits................................................................................................. 33 Selective Visits ........................................................................................................................... 34 Benefits of House Visits. ........................................................................................................... 36 Beat Visits and People’s Sense of Security: Beat Visits on the Decline. ................................... 38 Do you consider the police as a source of support and strength in times of crisis? ................ 40 Janamaitri Interventions in Problem Areas .............................................................................. 43 CHAPTER III : CONSTRAINTS FACED WHILE IMPLEMENTING JANAMAITRI .................................. 47 Constraints faced while implementing JM. .............................................................................. 47 2 Inadequate staff ........................................................................................................................ 47 Lower Priority to JM duties and Irregular Beat Visits: .............................................................. 49 Attitude of Superior Officers..................................................................................................... 51 Support of Superior Officers ..................................................................................................... 52 Beat Diaries: .............................................................................................................................. 55 Frequent transfers: ................................................................................................................... 56 Inadequate vehicles .................................................................................................................. 56 Phone facilities .......................................................................................................................... 57 Suggestions by Beat Officers to make JM more effective- ....................................................... 58 CHAPTER IV : JANAMAITRI TRAINING: ADEQUACY AND SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS ............ 61 Style of training ......................................................................................................................... 62 Training Content ....................................................................................................................... 63 Training and Behavioural Change ............................................................................................. 63 CHAPTER V: THE JANAMAITRI SAMITI ......................................................................................... 67 THE JANAMAITRI SAMITI .......................................................................................................... 67 Samiti Meetings ........................................................................................................................ 68 People’s Participation through the Samiti ................................................................................ 70 Selection of JM Samiti members .............................................................................................. 73 Functioning of the Samiti .......................................................................................................... 75 Suggestions from Samiti Members to make Janamaitri more active ....................................... 78 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 79 CHAPTER VI: Janamaitri Fund...................................................................................................... 80 JM fund adequacy ..................................................................................................................... 80 CHAPTER VII: POLICE- PEOPLE INTERACTION: THE POLICE AND THE PEOPLE ARE CHANGING .. 84 Are the Police Changing? .......................................................................................................... 84 Change in people’s attitude to the police................................................................................. 88 Treatment of women complainants in police stations ............................................................. 95 When the police responded with care ................................................................................. 95 3 A loss of self-esteem ............................................................................................................... 101 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 106 CHAPTER VIII : JANAMAITRI- AN APPROACH OR A PROGRAMME? ......................................... 107 Attitude of Non JM officers..................................................................................................... 107 Role Confusion: ....................................................................................................................... 111 CHAPTER IX ADDRESSING GRIEVANCES OF THE CIVIL POLICE OFFICERS ................................ 113 Grievances of Civil Police Officers ........................................................................................... 113 Grievances of Women Civil Police Officers ............................................................................. 115 Conclusion: .............................................................................................................................. 117 CHAPTER X : CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................... 119 The Beat Process ..................................................................................................................... 119 Recommendations: ................................................................................................................. 120 Awareness about Janamaitri Process ..................................................................................... 122 Janamaitri Samiti ..................................................................................................................... 123 Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 123 JSP Activities ............................................................................................................................ 124 Recommendations: ................................................................................................................. 126 Janamaitri Training .................................................................................................................. 128 Janamaitri as a Working Philosophy ....................................................................................... 129 CHAPTER XI THE WAY FORWARD ............................................................................................. 131 APPENDIX I List of Police stations studied . ............................................................................