Former DGP lauds PM Modi for redefining SMART policing

Former Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Singh on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving a new definition to SMART policing during the DGP/IGPs Conference in Guwahati.

"These concepts are laudable; they are to be appreciated and I would complement the PM with having come out with this and new definition of SMART which otherwise we have all been using but in a very limited sense. But then this has to be really translated in practice and its full implications have to be understood," said Singh.

"These concepts which he has encapsulated in the letters S, M, A, R and T, they are very comprehensive and if you could achieve the subjective it would mean a total revolution for the police, a complete transformation in the working and philosophy of the police," he added.

The former DGP, however, stated that there was a need to go into the depths of these concepts.

"You say that police should be responsible and accountable, to whom, now we have to decide that. As on date the police is accountable to the executive that is the political leadership and the bureaucracy. Now do you want to change the accountability as recommended by the National Police Commission to the laws of the land, the constitution of the country, to the people of the country?" asked Singh.

Singh further called for better coordination between the two state intelligence agencies and also between the state and the Centre.

"These intelligence agencies instead of focusing on intelligence about the political opposition they should concentrate on matters which concern the security of the state. There is need for better coordination between two state intelligence agencies, between the state and the center and all that the coordination must improve. Some tentative steps have already been taken in that direction but a lot more improvement is called for," Singh further said.

Earlier today, while addressing the Director General of Police/ Inspector General of Police (DGP/IGPs) Conference in Guwahati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the police should be SMART and added that a good intelligence system was required for the nation's defence.

"Police should be SMART which means, S-Sensitive and Strict, M-Modern and Mobile, A-Alert and Accountable, R-Responsive and Reliable, and T-Techno savvy and Trained," the Prime Minister said.