Nowadays, law enforcement agencies have to fight cyber crimes every day. As the cyber criminals devise new ways to throw police off their back, cyber police have to be on guard all the time.
To fight these types of crimes, the young police officers, especially, should be well prepared and stay updated. This is the focus of Mr. A.S. Rajan, who is currently the Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA).
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Rajan, a 1987-batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre gave his opinions on changes and challenges in policing today.
APPLYING LAW WAS THE JOB
Mr. Rajan, who has given more than three decades to police service, believes that there is a striking difference during that time and now. Elaborating on it, he said, “Now the young probationers who come for training are much more intelligent, balanced, and are exposed to the world view. While at our time, things were different. We finished college, prepared, and joined the force. Our ideas were very localized. Whatever knowledge we gained was based on books we read or few other sources. Now, the youngsters are connected to the world. They are technologically sound and have good management skills.”
He also said that during their initial days, India had ordinary growth and the use of technology was minimum. “Our major task was to apply the law, arrange evidence, control violence, and prosecute the offenders.”
FACE OF WAR HAS CHANGED
With development in every field, challenges have also come. Mr. Rajan emphasizes that now, police job is not limited to catching thief, the canvas has much expanded. “Now the war is not on the borders. It is fought inside the country and inside people’s mind. Cyber warfare which includes hacking is the biggest challenge. To tackle this, the young officers have to be technically sound and be prepared to evolve with the changes, as the technologies will continue to grow,” he said.
He also added that the dimensions of crime have also grown. VIP security, drugs, trafficking and data infringement poss the biggest challenges in front of the youngsters. “While tackling crimes, we have to be prepared for the challenges that will come with the growth of robotics, block chain technology, crypto currency, etc.”
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
When it comes to India, the digital divide is quite prevalent. While India is growing with fast pace technology, Bharat is still struggling with the same years-old problems. Mr. Rajan said, “The young officers are trained to maintain balance between both the scenarios.”
According to him, there is a thin line between a victim, perpetrator and offender. Giving an example, he said, “Every day we come across some kind of financial fraud where a person has lost his money because of some scheme, and he had convinced others also to be part of that same scheme. In this situation, he is a victim and an offender at the same time. This kind of situation can get very difficult for the young generation.”
To prepare for such a scenario, the Academy has been making changes in the training programme based on the requirement. At SVPNPA, focus is given to improve the capabilities and ethical standards of the trainees. Besides this, gender sensitization has also become a huge part of training. “We need compassionate and empathetic officers who don’t use their uniform as an intimidating tool, but deliver justice at the doorstep of the public. Police officers have to understand that they are service providers, and have not been selected to show authority,” Mr. Rajan said in conclusion.
