Cops to be freed of non-policing duties

KOCHI: With the growing number of criminal cases and acute shortage of the police personnel, the Director General of Police, Jacob Punnose has sent a communication to district police offices directing them to avoid work arrangement of police personnel mainly the headconstables, Assistant Sub- Inspectors (ASI) and Sub- Inspectors (SI).In the circular issued last week, he alerted that the deployment of head-constables, ASIs and SIs to duties other than policing and crime investigation would no longer be permitted.  The circular is pursuant to a High Court direction that the policemen should be relieved of work pressure, hence bifurcating of law and order and investigation would not be allowed.  The move was taken on the basis of a large number of cases in the police station and less manpower to investigate on it.DGP said that any diversion of man power from police stations on working arrangement would severely affect the services provided by the police station including crime investigation, service of beats and patrols.  “Out of the total strength of about 42,000 police personnel in Kerala Police, the number of personnel sanctioned in police stations are below 18,000. “Police stations are facing a severe shortage of investigating officers.In this wake the attachment of personnel in stations to police offices and other offices on working arrangement cannot be justified.  It is also to be noted that regular head constables, ASIs and SIs working in police stations are investigating officers who have to investigate and dispose off criminal cases and not to be deployed in other departments,” DGP stated in the order. But the order says that under exceptional cases personnel in the rank of head constable or police constable are to be posted on working arrangement.  The person should be transferred and posted to the district civil police headquarters reserve before relieving him on working arrangement. The resultant vacancy in the police station should also be filled up so that work does not suffer.DGP Jacob Punnose told ‘Express’ that there has been a long demand that the work arrangements among the police personnel must be abolished.  “The order will also be applicable to those who are posted on working arrangement as per DGOs. Under no circumstance will a post in a police station be kept vacant due to the posting of any person on working arrangement,” he said.