Combat terror with civil policing: Expert

US professor for more funds for local cops

David Bayley speaks during the seminar at Gauhati University on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections Guwahati, Feb 19 : “Civil policing is a much more effective tool than armed aggression in fighting terrorists in the Northeast and as such more funds should be spent on the local police force.” David Bayley, professor, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York, said this at a seminar — “Counter-terrorism: task for local police” — at the peace and conflict studies section under the department of political science at Gauhati University here today. Bayley, who has been doing extensive research in policing in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, said unless the civil police force was strong and capable enough, it was not possible for any country to fight terrorism. “Only the local police can provide the basic information about terrorist activities at a particular location, since they are in touch with the grassroots level of society,” he said. Bayley said much stress has not been laid in India, particularly in the northeastern region in regard to empowering the police force, especially the civil police. “As such the success rate in countering terrorism in the country has not been high,” he added. The professor said it was time the Indian authorities gave more stress on spending more funds to strengthen the local police forces in the face of new threats from terrorists. “Crores of rupees are spent on armed forces every year but little is done to upgrade the local police forces. It is time the authorities in India view this seriously,” the professor said. Bayley, however, said it was also the duty of a policeman to gain confidence of the local communities so that they are kept posted with the latest happenings in a particular area. “There are allegations of corruption and highhandedness in the police force. The civil police should change this attitude and try to win the confidence of the people,” he said. The professor from the US said it would be a Herculean task for the army and the paramilitary forces to fight terrorism in any country unless the local police provide the requisite intelligence inputs.