Change in attitude needed, DGP issues clarion call to officers

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu police chief, C Sylendra Babu has issued a clarion call to police officers in the State seeking a change in attitude and to not function under the illusion that they are the ultimate authority and that they are not accountable to anyone.

Police sources said that there were several complaints of police high handedness after which a memo was issued to the officers across the State.

“An officer with right attitude alone can achieve organisational goals as well as personal goals and help in creating a desirable organisational culture,” the Director General of Police (DGP) stated and pointed out that there has been negative attitude among some officers, who believe that they are the ultimate authority of their unit.

The DGP further elaborated that such officers are upset when a petitioner is accompanied by another person to explain the problem and that they openly express their displeasure to the complainant for approaching a higher authority to remedy their problem.

Such acts coupled with passing mean comments and harassing the complainant for this can lower the image of the police department in the public mind and it will also not help in serving the ultimate purpose of rendering justice to the victim, according to the memo.

“The officers shall realise that any posting is not a position of authority but merely a responsibility. It goes without saying he/she is not the ultimate authority. They do not realise that there is authority above them and there are courts and commissions who can question their every action and inaction, to punish them for their misdeeds,” the DGP said.

Police officers have been asked to desist from making petty remarks to petitioners and senior officers are asked to train their subordinates to develop a positive attitude.

“I call upon every officer of police department to train such a positive attitude to be professional and not personal in dealing with public and their own superior officers,” the DGP’s memo stated.