Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma bats for smart policing to tackle any situation in a jiffy

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 27 said that smart policing is the need of the hour to handle the new age of organizational and conventional crime.

Sarma said this while during a video conferencing with the top brass of the Assam Police, including the DGP and the Principal Secretary, Home, and Political, at the Assam House here on April 27. 

For the realization of the smart policing vision, the Chief Minister strongly advocated for removing the 'dead wood' from the police force - habitual drinkers, those with extreme obesity, and with charges of corruption against them - to turn the force into a responsive and action-oriented one. 

"A robust and resilient force is the need of the hour with a high state of fitness (with proper intake of diet and regular exercise) that can reach the scene of the crime in a jiffy and combat the situation," he quipped. 

Assam DGP, GP Singh apprised the Chief Minister of the process is on to give VRS to around 250 police personnel who are no longer fit to be in the force. 

Sarma advised police personnel to be proactive and people-oriented with smart policing and suggested the police force focus on a swift and pragmatic approach while dealing with crimes vis-a-vis registering cases and bringing them to logical conclusions. 

"Every complaint must be registered and inquired into. Smart policing is for the betterment of the existing police system. We need a police force which is strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive; techno-savvy and trained to tackle any kind of internal security problems they may be confronted with," he stressed. 

The concept of smart policing was introduced by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during the 49th annual conference of Directors-General and Inspectors-General in 2014.

The Assam Chief Minister underscored the need to take effective measures to enhance the capabilities of the state police in every district and the need for the battalions in the district or nearby to work in tandem with the police force to deal with emerging challenges effectively. 

In order to push forward this idea, among other vital things relating to internal security, Sarma will hold a meeting with the commandants of battalions at Dergaon in Upper Assam on May 18.

Referring to the daunting challenges posed by the cyber age, Sarma stressed the need to train police personnel down to the OCs across the state to tackle cyber crimes. Policing should be people-centric and police stations should be public-friendly.

Expressing concern over the instances of sexual assaults and crimes against women, the Chief Minister called for adopting the best practices in the country to ensure the safety of women. 

"The best practices as that of Kolkata and other cities must be adopted to make our towns and cities safer for women," he said, adding, "The police needs to be sensitized about the need to act swiftly and firmly and ensure that crimes against women are brought to logical conclusions."

The Chief Minister asked the police top brass to ensure there is no let up in the war against drugs in order to free the state from the menace. 

Sarma asked Singh to look after the police bands and martial music as it 'brings out the best in a person and inspires the forces, invokes patriotism and commitment towards the protection of the nation'. 

Ever since his assumption of office as Chief Minister in May 2021, Dr.Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, has convened four SPs level conferences, with the fifth conference slated to be held at Bongaigaon in the second or third week of June.

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