Rajendra Dhar
POLICE WATCH INDIA (Regd. NGO).
We at POLICE WATCH INDIA are pretty aware about the fact that how much toll taking is the embarrassment that the Police Chiefs & other Senior Police Officers have to bear as a result of the stricture like cognizance taken by the Judiciary (on & off record) of the I.O.s Non-Investigations, Superficial, Shoddy & Shady Investigations and the otherwise callous & inhuman approach shown by them towards their duties as assigned to them.
OR — IS IT THAT SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS TOO HOOT CARE ABOUT THIS HEINOUS DOWN TO EARTH REALITY BECAUSE IT DOES NOT AFFECT THEM & THEIR KITH & KIN???????
To put an end to this menace it is advised that INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS AUDITORS be appointed by all Police Departments in all the States as well as at the Home Ministers Office at the Central Government level as also at the Judiciary level.
The Work Profile of the INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS AUDITOR in brief should be as follows : –
To audit the Investigations conducted by Police Departments, the Vigilance Departments of the Police Departments and to review their policies and procedures with respect to Criminal Investigations.
To look at things such as tactics. It’s the job of the Independent Investigations Auditor to make recommendations about changes in Police Departments’ policies and procedures, as regards Criminal & other Investigations conducted by them.
Will be involved in reviewing the trigger happy shootings, police performance, and how their Vigilance Department investigates complaints against Police Officers/Personnel themselves.
Review their investigations and databases and look carefully at the numbers. How many complaints are sustained, how many aren’t & why, what type of discipline is issued, and how often. Is it appropriate discipline? These are the types of things that will be looked into.
There is this huge push for change i.e. all expressing a need for change. The Central and State Governments coming in as well. The Police Chiefs who understand and are experiencing the need for change want to have change, and they would want confidence levels on the part of citizens to soar in their respective Police Departments. The huge momentum for change is there, for something special and positive.
Well that is going to be the goal of oversight….transparency. So that there is someone besides just those in the department looking at the investigations and looking at all of the functions on a daily basis. To review and critique the investigations and to tell the public through unbiased reports whether or not the police investigations were thorough and complete.
The Investigations Auditor will show the Investigating Officers how he is going to critique them, to get their input as well. It won’t be just a one-way street, as the Investigations Auditor will be letting them know how he is going to critique them by using their own rules and regulations. He will be going to go out to the scene of the crimes; from start to finish. See the evidence as it lies there. See the crime scene; hear what the initial story is about and what supposedly happened.
Lastly, see the complete investigation and then be able to tell the public & others about it.
That a consent decree between the Investigations Auditor & the Police Chiefs will govern & basically outline the duties of the Investigations Auditor as well as what to do on a day-to-day basis. There will be requirements of the police department as well as requirements of the Police Chiefs office that he will have to meet. The consent decree is all about compliance and reports that show the level of compliance.
It all will revolve around trust. The trust that others can count on the Independent Investigations Auditor to do what has been said and does it without any bias and/or prejudice. He won’t be a talking head or in cahoots with the Police Department. People should know that he will be independent of the police department and will be hard in critiquing them. He shall be straightforward and want complete & proper investigations conducted so that guilty don’t go unpunished.
The police department will have to trust him in what he writes to them. The Police Chiefs & their subordinates will need to be able to trust him and say yes. Lastly, the department should be able to relate to him. The Independent Investigations Auditor should never have any problem talking with anyone at any level. The Independent Investigations Auditor shall have nothing to hide in this process, and would want the Police Chiefs to know exactly what he is doing so he can shine a brighter light on that process.
The maximum time within which the Independent Investigations Auditor shall give his findings shall be 3 (Three) months & there shall be no provision for extension of time for any reason whatsoever.
The JUDGES OF THE TRIAL COURTS & HIGHER COURTS could also obtain the services of The Independent Investigations Auditor where ever it deemed necessary by them for the purpose of fair & just deliverance of Justice to the Aggrieved.
The selfless work of the Independent Investigations Auditor would eventually bring glory to the Police Departments as well as restore the trust & confidence levels of the Police Chiefs & their Subordinates in the eyes of the “AAM AADMI”.
IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ENSURE AT ALL COSTS THAT THE “INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATIONS AUDITOR” IS NOT A PRESENT OR PAST MEMBER OF ANY POLICE FORCE OR ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCING AGENCY.
The “Independent Investigations Auditor” should be one who understands the psyche of police personnel, their weak & strong points, knows the fundamentals of investigations & investigation procedures & techniques, has reasonably good knowledge of all types of laws & to that extent need not necessarily be a lawyer.
