Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police C. Sylendra Babu has urged police officers to consciously develop a positive attitude while discharging their duties and demonstrate professionalism while dealing with people approaching them with grievances.
In a note to all Superintendents/Deputy Commissioners of Police, Deputy Inspectors-General of Police and Inspectors-General of Police, he expressed concern that there was a “very negative attitude” among some officers who believed that they were the ultimate authority of their units and not accountable to anyone.
“Such officers are upset when a petitioner is accompanied by another person to explain the problem. Sometimes these officers openly express their displeasure to the complainant for approaching a higher authority seeking remedy to their problem, much to the dismay of the aggrieved person,” he said. Mr. Babu said expressing displeasure to an innocent petitioner for meeting a higher authority and passing mean comments or even harassing the complainant could lower the image of the police department in the minds of people. Furthermore, it would not help to serve the ultimate purpose of rendering justice to the victim.
‘Not ultimate authority’
He called upon the police officers to realise that any posting was not at all a position of authority but of responsibility. “It goes without saying that he/she is not the ultimate authority. They do not realise that there are authorities above them, and there are courts, and commissions that can question their every action and inaction, to punish them for their misdeeds.”
The DGP asked the officers to desist from making petty remarks or expressing displeasure at the behaviour of petitioners when they represented their problems.
“Instead, they could seize the opportunity to solve the problem of the desperate petitioner and brief their senior officers, which could enhance their own image. The senior officers are also requested to train their subordinate officers to develop this positive attitude... Right attitude is a great quality and a learnable skill. Change in attitude alone can make anyone a great leader in any organisation,” he said.
Mr. Babu made an earnest appeal to every officer to consciously train a positive attitude to be “professional” and not “personal” in dealing with members of the public and their own superior officers. “An officer with the right attitude alone can achieve organisational goals as well as his/her personal goals and help in creating a desirable organisational culture,” he said.
