Criminology

Police Science and Law Enforcement

Role of Police in Maintenance of Internal Security and
Crime Prevention

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 Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator Prof. G.S. Bajpai Professor and Registrar, National Law
University,Delhi
Paper Coordinator Dr. Mithilesh Narayan Assistant Professor, Sardar Patel
Bhatt University of Police, Security and
Criminal Justice, Jodhpur
Content Writer/Author Dr. Mithilesh Narayan Assistant Professor, Sardar Patel
Bhatt University of Police, Security and
Criminal Justice, Jodhpur
Content Reviewer Prof. Arvind Tiwari Professor,TISS, Mumbai

DESCRIPTION OF MODULE

Items Description of Module

Subject Name Criminology
Paper Name Police Science and Law Enforcement
Module Name/Title Role of Police in Maintenance of Internal Security and Crime Prevention
Module Id Crim/PSLE/XXXIX
Objectives Learning Outcome:

 To make the learners understand the various concept of

Crime Prevention;
 To make the learners understand various methods of Crime
Prevention;
 To make the learners understand the issues related to
Internal Security.
 To make the learners understand the role of police in
maintaining the internal security and crime prevention

Prerequisites General understanding of the Role of Police in Maintenance of Internal

Security and Crime Prevention

Key words Police, Crime prevention, Police, Community, Threats, Security

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 Role of Police in Maintenance of Internal Security and Crime Prevention

1. Introduction:

Instability of social states, law and order disturbances to extreme aggression, communal riots and
other extremist acts are not new in Indian perspective. India's current scenario regarding internal
security is alarming the necessary and strategic solutions. Devastating terror attacks of 26-28
November, 2008 in Mumbai and many more cannot be sidelined. Recently, the Pathankot
Airbase attack questioned the strategies, tactics and management of intelligence regarding the
internal security in the country. The multitude of security threats India faces – Islamist terrorism,
left-wing extremism, communal violence, ethnic violence, espionage, secession movements,
border security on six international borders, and drug trafficking, to name a few – necessitates an
effective and coordinated mechanism designed to deal with related issues and situations on the
homeland. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the primary federal agency tasked with the
maintenance of internal security in India. The Department of Internal Security within the
ministry is responsible for carrying out this mandate. The department works in close
coordination with the Department of States, Department of Home, Department of Jammu and
Kashmir Affairs, and the Department of Border Management, all within the Ministry of Home
Affairs. In the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and the seemingly endless Naxalite insurgency,
the Ministry of Home Affairs, and consequently the Department of Internal Security, have come
under increasing media and public scrutiny and pressure to undertake reforms to enhance its
effectiveness.

1.1 Internal Security:

Internal Security, on the other hand, can be defined as ‘security against threats faced by a country
within its national borders, either caused by inner political turmoil, or provoked, prompted or
proxied by an enemy country, perpetrated even by such groups that use a failed, failing or weak
state, causing insurgency, terrorism or any other subversive acts that target innocent citizens,
cause animosity between and amongst groups of citizens and communities intended to cause or
causing violence, destroy or attempt to destroy public and private establishment.’( Report of the
Task Force set up on ‘Criminal Justice, National Security and Centre-State Cooperation’).
Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other self-
governing territories. Generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal
security threats. Responsibility for internal security may range from police to paramilitary forces,
and in exceptional circumstances, the military itself. Threats to the general peace may range from
low-level civil disorder, large scale violence, or even an armed insurgency. Threats to internal
security may be directed at either the state's citizens, or the organs and infrastructure of the

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state itself, and may range from petty crime, serious organized crime, political or industrial
unrest, or even domestic terrorism. Foreign powers may also act as a threat to internal security,
by either committing or sponsoring terrorism or rebellion, without actually declaring war.

1.2 Crime Prevention:

Crime Prevention is the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation
of some action to remove or reduce the risk (VCPA). And also, as per definition of Crime
Prevention, defined on the official website of New York State Police, it can be stated as:
 Crime Prevention is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk, and the
initiation of action to remove or reduce it.
 Crime Prevention is an active approach utilizing public awareness and preventive
measures to reduce crime.
 Crime Prevention reflects a philosophy of self-defense where the police and the
community take action before crimes are committed.
 Crime Preventions programs will reduce crime, stimulate public awareness concerning
crime prevention and enhance our communities.
 Crime prevention works. It is cheaper, safer, and healthier for communities to prevent
crime than to have to treat its victims, deal with its perpetrators, and lose civic health and
productivity.

Crime Prevention comprises strategies and measures that seek to reduce the risk of crimes
occurring, and their potential harmful effects on individuals and society, including fear of crime,
by intervening to influence their multiple causes. (Official Website of UNODC).

But the responsibility of crime prevention doesn’t fall on one person – it’s everyone’s business.
Law enforcement agencies, however, often are the focal point in community crime prevention.

This can be beneficial to prevention efforts because these law enforcement officers:

Know what crime is happening, where it is happening, and by whom;

Have the expertise to stop crime before it happens; and
Can bring community members, police departments, and government officials together
(Official Website of NYSP).

2. Role of Police in Maintenance of Internal Security:

Internal security problems fell within the range of authority of an estimated 50,00,000 man force.
Presumably, in the present time this included all members of police-type organizations such as
the state police forces, the railway police, the rural police, para-military (central armed police
forces) and the volunteer police.

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The work of crime prevention personnel is crucial to the law enforcement agency's success in
involving its officers, other government agencies, and the community in anti-crime efforts. This
is a critically important aspect of policing. Assuming the chief of police or DGP (Director
General of Police) is committed to having other agencies and the community involved in efforts
to prevent crime, and believes that crime prevention and control are the responsibility of various
interests within the community (not just law enforcement), the assignment of personnel to the
crime prevention unit should be considered one of the most important decisions of the law
enforcement executive. Consequently, the crime prevention unit must be staffed at a level that
reflects its significance to the mission of the agency.

Every law enforcement agency should designate one employee as supervisor of the crime
prevention unit.
The supervisor should be responsible for directing all aspects of the crime prevention unit
and should represent the interests of the unit to the chief executive officer and his
command staff.
Job descriptions for crime prevention personnel should be prepared and fully understood
by those assigned to crime prevention.
Crime prevention personnel should possess effective planning and communication skills
and should be capable of motivating and directing others.
Law enforcement agencies should give consideration to qualified civilians as well as
sworn officers when filling vacancies within the crime prevention unit.
Crime prevention personnel should be provided appropriate training in methods to reduce
or remove the opportunity for crime.
Crime prevention personnel should attend advanced or specialized courses designed to
strengthen their crime prevention skills in physical security, CPTED, management, and
coalition building.
Crime prevention should be a line item in the law enforcement budget.
Every law enforcement agency should consider using a cadre of volunteers to assist in the
delivery of crime prevention services.
Every law enforcement agency should prepare comprehensive crime prevention policies
and procedures.

While recognizing the crucial role of Special Branches/Intelligence set up in the States/Union
Territories, the Home Ministry has laid emphasis on earmarking up to 5% of the total
allocation under MPF towards strengthening of their Special Branches in terms of modern
equipment, gadgets for communication, etc. It has also been emphasized that the States
should take action to suitably enhance the manpower in the special branches from their own
resources. As was done in the previous financial year, for 2010-11 also, all the States were

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 advised to earmark up to 5% of the MPF allocation towards strengthening of their special
branches.

2.1 Maintaining Public Confidence:

Maintaining public confidence in India’s government and security forces appears to have been a
continuing challenge to the country's leadership. Public opinion interpreted from a brief survey
of the public press indicates that informed Indians view their country as a leader among Asian
nations equipped to set high standards in international relations. As for national politics, most
informed Indians in the past have shared the goals set by the national leaders but have differed
widely on methods used in attaining these goals. Most Indians, especially in the large cities,
aspired to improve social welfare and financial and educational opportunities and to eliminate
poverty. The government answered by inaugurating various community development and rural
welfare projects (although less than successful) aimed especially at increasing the well-being of
the more backward and disadvantaged groups in the country. Many special considerations have
been given these groups in the constitution and in much government legislation. But in spite of
government efforts to better the lot of its citizens, the rural population has resisted some of its
programs and has distrusted its administrators.

2.2 Collection of Intelligence:

The civil system for collecting, evaluating, analyzing, integrating, and interpreting information
concerning the security of India in the mid-1960's was operated by the police under the Ministry
of Home Affairs. It was an enlarged outgrowth of the British system that in colonial days was
used primarily against nationalists. In conjunction with this civil intelligence system, a joint
intelligence unit for handling military intelligence-Joint Chiefs of Staff-was created after
independence. Prior to 1962, most of the attempts to coordinate the activities of these
overlapping branches apparently failed, and high policy planners continued to rely heavily on
civil intelligence units for strategic information. However, the Chinese attack in 1962 underlined
the defects of the intelligence system, and, along with other security units, it was given serious
reevaluation. Shortly after the office of director general of security was established in the Prime
minister's secretariat as a centralized coordinating agency for political and military intelligence.
And, by the mid-1960’s, a recommendation was made that a new intelligence system be
established to remove the police from the processing of strategic intelligence for which they were
said to be unsuited.

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 In India, a number of intelligence, military and police organizations fight against the
terrorism activities. For intelligence, we have Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) that acts as
the external intelligence agency Intelligence Bureau (IB), a division of the Home Affairs
Ministry, collects intelligence within India. After the 26/11 attack, government has formed
various other agencies like NIA, NATGRID, MAC (revamping) and NCTC for fighting against
terrorism. Here is a brief backgrounder on various bodies in India formed to fight terrorism.

a) National Security Guard (NSG): Following the Operation Blue Star in 1984,
the National Security Guard (NSG) was created as a special commando force for
combating against terrorist activities. NSG personnel are also referred as Black Cat
commandos. The NSG’s are trained to counter hijacking operations and terrorist
operations. After 26/11 attack, four NSG regional hubs are created at Kolkata,
Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai.
b) National Investigation Agency (NIA): It is a federal agency set up by India to
combat terror. It was created in December 2008 after Mumbai terror attacks in
November 2008 with concurrent jurisdiction power. It is empowered to investigate
and prosecute offences under the Acts specified in the Schedule of the NIA Act. Any
state government can request union government to handover the investigation of case
to NIA, if the case is registered as per the offenses mentioned in schedule of NIA act.
Union government can also handover any scheduled offense anywhere in the India.
The central government is empowered to decide the jurisdiction of these courts.
These are presided over by a judge appointed by the Central Government on the
recommendation of the Chief Justice of the High Court with jurisdiction in that
region. The main offences dealt by NIA are bomb blasts, human trafficking,
hijacking of ships and aircrafts, counterfeit currency narcotics etc.
c) National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is a robust intelligence gathering
mechanism to track any suspected terror attack. All the databases of government
departments are linked in a grid to collect comprehensive patterns of intelligence that
can be readily accessed by intelligence agencies like RAW, IB, ED, CBEC etc. The
information collected includes tax and bank account details, credit card transactions,
visa and immigration records, and rail and air travel details etc. It is not yet fully
operationalised.

The government has finally decided to revitalise and re-infuse the NatGrid constituted in the
aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to act as a preventive mechanism by collating and
analyzing vital data and predict possible attacks.

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Instead of a standalone institution that was to be placed under an overarching umbrella of the
national counter terror centre (NCTC), shelved subsequently amid stiff opposition from the
States, the NatGrid will now be under the overall supervision of the Intelligence Bureau.

Once fully functional NatGrid is supposed to enable all the eleven security and intelligence
agencies, including RAW, IB, Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency (NIA),
CBI, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and others, to
process their queries and get results, in real time, on virtually any individual or entity.

d) Revamping of Multi Agency Centre (MAC) MAC, which functions under the
Intelligence Bureau, is the nodal agency for sharing intelligence inputs. Although it
was in place since 2002, it was revamped after 26/11 attacks. Every agency, and
Central Police Organisation, has an officer to coordinate with MAC and share
intelligence on a daily basis. At the state level also there is an SMAC functioning in a
similar manner. Coastal Security Scheme Revamped After 26/11 attacks, the coastal
security imperatives have become multi-dimensional and prompt. To strengthen the
coastal security, the government has taken several measures. The Coast Guard was
entrusted with the task of guarding the Indian coastline right from the shoreline. The
Indian Navy is still responsible for overall maritime security. Coastal States and
Union Territories have been directed to implement the approved Coastal Security
Scheme. The coastal States and UTs have been asked to start coastal patrolling by
locally hired fishing boats/trawlers. A uniform system for registration of all boats has
been put in place. Action is also being taken for issuance of ID cards to all
fishermen.
e) National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO): It is a technical intelligence
agency set up in 2004 under the National Security Adviser in the Prime Minister’s
Office, India. It provides technical intelligence to all other Indian agencies.

2.3 Civil Disturbances:

Civil disobedience and coercive public protests were part and parcel of Indian politics before
independence and became even more so after independence. In fact, this kind of political
behavior was considered a legitimate form of expressing demands and mobilizing public opinion
and became well institutionalized in the Indian political process. Many forms of mass actions
have been used including riots, strikes, boycotts, work stoppages, obstruction of normal activity,
courting of arrests, fasts, marches, processions, and public meetings. Some of these actions have
been legal, others illegal. Illegal actions have on occasion included the use of violence. In
general, these actions have all shared three attributes: They usually were collective actions, they
were public and not clandestine or conspiratorial, and by their nature they imposed restrictions

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on the authorities compelling them to use the minimum of force in counteractions. These forms
of mass activities required extensive specialized training and knowledge in riot control
operations from Indian police and regular armed forces.

2.4 Methods and Techniques:

The central and state governments of India combined the use of police organizations and the
regular armed forces in dealing with its internal security problems. The situations clearly
defining the roles and functions of the police and the armed forces were not explicit, and in most
instances the decision to use the police instead of the army was left up to the local authorities. In
cases where the police indicated an inability to cope with the insurgents, regular troops were sent
in by the central government at the request of state authorities. Police units were also used in
some cases in defense efforts and they were called upon to relieve "regular units of the armed
forces" from internal peacekeeping missions.

Central and state authorities had a wide range of emergency powers instituted to give them free
rein in coping with activities deemed prejudicial to the security of the country or any of its parts.
The constitution allowed the president to declare a state of emergency in the face of external
aggression or serious internal disturbances and it made provisions for him to assume the powers
of any governor whose government showed inability to handle emergency situations. This
provision empowered him and the national assembly to proclaim a state of emergency in 1962 in
response to the Chinese invasion, suspending all constitutional rights and giving the government
almost unlimited control over communications, transportation, finance, credit, and mass media.
Moreover, it gave the authorities power to detain persons suspected of endangering national
security, to control the movement of persons inside emergency areas, to control arms and
explosives, and to enter, search, and investigate without warrants. The Preventive Detention Act
of 1950 provided for the arrest and detention of persons accused of threatening the social
stability and economic development of the country. The central and state governments were able
to order the detention of any person for up to one year if his behavior was considered prejudicial
to the security of the country or any of its states, or to the maintenance of public law and order.
And the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) allowed police authorities to ban the assembly of
five or more persons in areas designated by them as being out of bounds.

3. Role of Police in Crime Prevention:

Prevention of crime is one of the major obligations of police. If crimes are prevented in time, the
human rights of the people in general will be protected actually and factually. It is so because the

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commission of an offence amounts to the violation of one or the other human right of an
individual. If the police are able to prevent crime efficiently, their problems in the context of
protection of human rights will reduce substantially. Not only that, their image will improve and
the popular estimation of their performance will pass through a positive transformation.
Prevention is better than cure. A stitch in time saves nine and the crime prevented is best
investigated are some of the popular dictums signifying the importance of crime prevention and
its relevance with reference to the obligation of police leadership in the protection of human
rights. That crimes should and can be prevented is the basic premise on which each society
legislate some provision or other for preventing crimes. By making an effective use of the
provisions the police officials at various levels, inter alia, will be discharging their obligation of
protecting human rights in a gainful and meaningful manner.

The mechanisms involving role of police in prevention of crime and preservation of peace and
security includes:

a) gust and patrolling, including nakabandi, performing picket

b) and ambush jobs, checking vehicles and frisking passengers
c) surveillance and checking of bad characters
d) preventive arrests
e) collection and transmission of criminal intelligence

There are a number of methods, strategies and mechanisms used and utilized by the police for
preventing law and order situations and crimes. Some of the important ones are following:

3.1 Legal provisions:

Various provisions have been made in CRPC, IPC and other special and minor Acts, which give
powers to police to prevent offences and contain law and order situations.

3.2 Beats, Patrols, Gust, Nakabandi, Ambush etc.:

Out of the two principal police functions, that is, prevention and detection of crime, the
prevention work must take precedence over detection. Intimate knowledge of the conditions
prevailing in the police station jurisdiction and of the movements and activities of criminals are
conditions precedent for successful execution of preventive role of police. To gain such
knowledge, an efficient beat system is a primary necessity. Village authorities are primarily
responsible for reporting crime and supplying information about the movements of bad
characters but it should be clearly understood that this does not take away the responsibility of
the police for gathering information necessary for the effective prevention and detection of

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crime. For this purpose the constables should visit villages only under definite orders, for a
definite purpose and for a specified period.

Even the reduction in crime as a more realistic goal can be achieved only by extending crime
prevention and control measures beyond the criminal justice system and by building these into a
broader social action to curb conditions which produce crime. Such a perspective requires
focusing on two major areas: (i) prevention of crime by protecting various vulnerable groups
within the framework of social justice; and, (ii) treatment of offenders in a just, fair and equitable
manner, with due regard to their human rights, and on the basis of a differential handling of
individuals who violate law under various kinds of situational compulsion vis-a-vis those who
perpetrate crime in an organized manner.

3.3 Police records:

Police records, pertaining to crimes and criminals and the ones maintained at the police station
and various other places with regard to law and order situations, play a vital role and assist the
police personnel in a meaningful way in the discharge of their duties with regard to prevention of
crimes and law and order situations. Police records perform the role of broad database and on the
basis of information available in this database police officers can devise methods and plan out
for keeping check and control on the movements and activities of the criminals, and at the same
time can also keep a track on the emerging law and order situations. The information available in
the police record would help the police officers in making preventive arrests and evolving other
strategies for prevention of crimes and law and order situations. With the advent of computer
technology and adoption of computerization at various levels, the record keeping has become
more systematic, scientific and organized. A large bulk of records can be maintained by use of
computers and even the retrieval of the desired record is also quick and fast. The computerization
of police records thus should be gainfully utilized by the policemen of various ranks for the
discharge of their prevention duties.

3.4 Surveillance:

Surveillance is a vital part of preventive action by police. It deters the designs of a person
intending to commit offences. The nature and degree of surveillance depends on the
circumstances and persons on whom surveillance is mounted. It is only in very rare cases and on
rare occasions that round the clock surveillance becomes necessary for a few days or weeks. It is
necessary that those who deserve to be kept under close surveillance receive maximum attention.

Different categorical approaches for crime prevention such as crime against- children, women,
SC&ST, minorities, senior citizen, urban and rural crime have been dealt with, in many reports

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by Police Commissions. The role of police in prevention of Crime against these categories is
crucial and in present day scenario is kept amongst the utmost important areas in functioning of
police.

4. Conclusion:

Strengthening Internal Security in India is the need of the hour. Many a times it has been
observed that when a state government is not able to effectively and tactfully deal with security
threats issues, instead of developing and strengthening the local/state police mechanism, it
approaches to the Centre to abandon its roles, duties and responsibility at the prime sign of
serious troubles like communal riots, left extremism, insurgencies and many more. The big
question is that the problems instead of getting solved are becoming more complex. Before
strengthening the internal security, it is very important to know the challenges and the extent of
seriousness of those challenges. The leading existing and upcoming challenges in connection to
internal security involves:

i. National and international menace of terrorism;

ii. Left wing extremism in most of the central India;
iii. Threats related to communal riots, extreme aggression during inter-cultural and social
agitations etc.;
iv. Ensuring the safety and security and intelligence management throughout the country
which includes approximately fifteen thousand kilometers of land borders and the
coastline;
v. Ethnic insurgencies in Jammu & Kashmir and in north-east Indian states.

Apart from this other solution can be made, such are:

i. Developing effective counter strategies against to possible security challenges and

threats;
ii. A pro-active approach is more demanding than the reactive one;
iii. Up gradation and management of intelligence agencies, especially Intelligence Bureau
(IB), need to be reviewed time to time;
iv. Necessary improvement in the coordination and communication for sharing intelligence
amongst the divisions/departments dealing with special crimes such as Narcotics Control
Bureau (NCB) and other to break the nexus between terrorism, drug trafficking and
organized crime.

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