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 5,000 cops were recruited for the state recently. Of this, 4,300 have been hauled off midway through training and are on their way to Nagpur for Assembly session bandobast starting tomorrow. This happens all the time, say officers. Are you still wondering why our police force is ill-equipped to deal with new security challenges?
The pitiable state of the city's police keeps unfolding. Sunday MiD DAY has found that many of the policemen who were on the streets to fight the terrorists on 26/11 had not fired more than 20 bullets during their training programme and not over 30 to 40 rounds in their entire career. The irony? Many of them have not even handled or fired from AK-47 or Self Loaded Rifles (SLR) at the training centres.
Contrast the Mumbai Police with the armed forces. The latter get regular firing practice with ammunition, while police training centers always have a shortage of ammunition. In fact, they don't even get the entire amount that has been sanctioned.
Around 4,300 police recruits were being trained at eight police training centres across the state Akola, Amravati, Jalna, Latur, Nagpur, Khandala, Solapur and Marol, Mumbai. Women constables are trained separately at Khandala and Solapur. A further 900 recruits are being trained in Marol. But instead of getting their five-and-a-half-month training session, all the 4,300 police personnel have been deployed for bandobast duty in Nagpur, as the Assembly session begins from tomorrow.
"We have often requested superiors not to deploy trainee policemen for bandobasts or other policing duty until they complete the entire training program. But no one listens," said an instructor who did not wished to be named.
The instructor said such assignments affect continuation of the training course. "Recruits are trained using 9mm rifles or carbines and are seldom given AK-47 or SLR practice due to shortage of cartridges. Out of the 20 bullets (9mm rifle) given to each trainee at the centre, five bullets are used for training, five for practice and the remaining 10 for examination. One cannot be an expert shooter by firing a mere 20 bullets," said another trainer.
When contacted, State Home Minister Jayant Patil said he was aware of the problem. He said, "I have instructed police heads to ensure that each policemen gets maximum exposure to firing practice and that they make optimum use of the firing ranges in Mumbai and its outskirts."
He added, "I have asked the department to work out a proper plan and have assured them of all assistance to get required cartridges and if needed, cartridges can also be imported."
On whether the cops would be provided training on all weapons, Patil clarified, "Firing practice will be given only on those weapons which the policemen are using as per the prescribed guidelines. Also the state government will shortly procure AK-47 rifles for 84 police stations in the city."
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Training and Special Units) M G Sanap admitted that it is practically impossible to train fresh recruits on every aspect of policing. "Post the 26/11-terror attacks, emphasis will be given more towards Physical Fitness (PT) to ensure that the trainees can increase their stamina and also, that they are given maximum exposure to use fire arms," said Sanap.
The selection process for fresh recruits are in progress and it is anticipated that an approximate 5,000 will enroll for training by February 2009. Also two new training centres will be functional from next year at Tasgaon (Sangli) and Dhule, said the officer.
"We provide a basic training course to the policemen. It is impossible to train them in all aspects of policing including handling of weapons within such a short time, unless the training course period is extended," said another officer. Former Director General of Police, Arvind Inamdar says that policemen should be subjected to modern training program in a practical way instead of traditional training (using lathis, disbursing crowds etc).
The need of the hour is to tune policemen to face modern challenges including terrorism, gangsters and naxals. "The nature of offences has changed with time," he explained.
Nearly 85 per cent of policemen have not been given extra training or appraised of new combat operations.
Across villages in the state, a policeman of the rank of a head constable or assistant sub inspector is in charge of the entire village and seldom has knowledge on crime scene prevention or legal expertise to prepare a watertight case against an accused. They also do not have knowledge on the Evidence Act," informed Inamdar.
Only 30 out of 600 policemen are Mumbaikars
A fortnight ago around 600 policemen (all constables) joined the Mumbai police force after completing training. They are presently based at the Naigaon police headquarters. Out of 600 policemen, only 30 are Mumbaikars, while the remaining are from across Maharashtra.
Cops with degrees
The largest number of policemen in this batch are graduates and few are postgraduates, instead of the minimum qualification of HSC pass for a constable's post. An officer said that Mumbai youths easily find alternate jobs, but those from remote areas seldom have such an opportunity. A BE final year student joined the force recently, because he was finding it difficult to get selected on the campus and was desperate for a job. And for many like him, apart from a government job, residential quarters, medical benefits and power attracts them to a career in the force. | 
