A Necessity Called POLICE INFORMERS

A Necessity Called POLICE INFORMERS
By Maxwell Pereira

There has always been a stigma attached to the term ‘police informer’. Not many, though, have given it much though. There was a time when the police were considered a tool in the hands of the British imperialists – to be used to oppress and to run the writ of the ruler. The police were looked upon with suspicion, avoided, and those who provided them with any kind of information were at once considered anti-community and ostracized. It’s no wonder then that police informers faced social boycott.
But this is history and happened a long time ago. A change was required when the firangi colonizers sailed off our shores, never to return. Now, the police are no longer an oppressor’s or ruler’s tool, but are the peoples’ own guardians – of the people, by the people and for the people. Even if some do not consider them to be the protectors of society, the fact remains that they are required to be so. Thus, there’s a need to reconsider the subject of providing information to the police, and whether an informant is to be ostracized or lauded.
The law of the land expects its citizens to immediately report any knowledge of the commission of a crime to the nearest police station. The concept of community policing and a people-friendly police can be built only on the firm foundations of mutual trust between the public and the police. For this purpose, there’s a need to share information. Without an active, alert and alive public, and with such information not forthcoming, no amount of police vigilance can ensure the desired or required level of security in today’s environment of militancy and terrorism.
Under these circumstances, the project ‘Crime Watch’, a scheme launched by the Delhi Police for enlisting citizens’ participation in detecting and preventing crimes, assumes significance. The scheme is an attempt to lay stress on community-based policing, since no police force can function effectively and earn the confidence of the people without their participation. With prevention of crime being right on top of the Delhi Police agenda, the police have been endeavouring to devise various methods to keep it under check.
This need is felt in the face of prevailing socio-economic factors that are bound to push the crime graph higher. The same socio-economic developmental factors are now sought by the police to edge closer to the public while attempting to prevent and solve crime.
The age-old reluctance because of apathy, indifference, ignominy of being branded a ‘police branded a ‘police informant’, or the sheer fear of retaliation as the case may be – to furnish information about criminal activity to the police needs to be overcome. The idea of ‘Crime Watch’ was devised to tap people – from different status or walk of life – for information which could lead to the arrest of suspects, or recovery of stolen property.
The main thrust of the scheme is to provide cash rewards and incentives to people furnishing information that leads to the arrest of suspects, with the added safeguard and promise of anonymity to those who so desire. Anyone who wants to give information about crime, militant activity, or ‘wanted’ criminals and other such offenders, can dial 100 and ask for the ‘Crime Watch’ desk. The informant need not reveal his or her identity. If the information helps the police, the informant will be rewarded. And if anonymity is desired, the informant can ask the ‘Crime Watch’ cell for a code number, and use it later if a reward is announced. All the informant has to do is to approach the police with his code and collect the cash prize.
Similar projects have been successfully used in other countries. In New York alone, over one thousand cases were solved between 1988 and 1994 with the help of a similar scheme called ‘Crime Stoppers’. Anonymous callers helped the New York Police to solve 263 murder, 327 cases of robbery, 69 cases of attempted murders and 14 cases of rape, besides furnishing information leading to the recovery of property worth $ 2.2. million, and drugs worth $ 1 million.
Rewarding people who furnish information to the police, especially the information which has led to solving major crimes, is nothing new. However, people are still reluctant to come forward readily to provide information. ‘Crime Watch’ and the incentives it offers is an attempt to help the people overcome this inhibition.
It is hoped that the citizens of Delhi take the initiative as far as community policing is concerned and realize that the police is on their side. Shankar Sen, Director General (Investigation) at the National Human Rights Commission, recently said in a letter to me: “I feel that the strongest bulwark against crime is a vigilant citizen, willing to help the police and provide useful information.” There is need to heed this advice.
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Maxwell Pereira is the Additional CP (Southern Range), besides being a prolific writer.
Published in The Indian Express on 1.6.1996 Better Living /Crime Beat Column