About
The Gender Sensitisation and People-friendly Police Project is a joint partnership between Karnataka State Police and UNICEF (Hyderabad). The Nodal Officer for the project is the Additional Director General of Police (Recruitment and Training), Karnataka State Police.
Begun modestly in 2001, with a workshop with a few officers from Bangalore City Police, conducted by UNICEF (Delhi), the GSPP project developed a training module over 2002, focusing on violence against women and children, with the help of over 500 officers from all levels of the system, from the Director General and Inspector General of Karnataka to police constables in remote police stations. It has also been supported by resource persons and women’s and children’s organisations from across the state. In 2003, it began its in-service training process, and in 2005, it expanded this to cover police training schools and academies. Senior level commitment is supported substantially by a unique pool of over a hundred ‘police trainers’ – police personnel working in police stations across Karnataka who have shown special commitment to these issues, and who have undergone a ‘Training of Trainers’ process. With the support of local NGOs, there have also been police station level partnerships with community organisations, and outreach programmes of different kinds, including with schools and self-help groups.
By the end of 2006, the GSPP Project had trained over 3000 police personnel, from the levels of police constable to sub-inspectors, both in-service and probationary. At least 50 police trainers coordinated and facilitated workshops, both at police stations as well at city or district level. Some of them have begun taking specific sessions of the module, as resource persons themselves. The training is designed to be participatory and inter-active, with an emphasis on attitudinal and behavioural change, along with greater skills and knowledge in relevant laws and procedures.
(Read more on the history and processes of the GSPP project)
The Coordinating Team
State Nodal Officer: Dr. DV Guruprasad (ADGP, R&T)
UNICEF Programme Officer: Ms. Sudha Murali
State Coordinator: Ms. Anasuya Sengupta
Programme Manager: Ms. Rovina Bastian
Programme Organiser: Mr. Ajith Kumar BJ
Project Facilitator: Mr. Somashekar Hawaldar
Rtn.S.jayaraman. said,
March 17, 2007 at 6:45 am
Rotary Dist 3190,which comprises of bangalore/mandya/Tumkur/chitoor/Tiruppathi/kolar – Is there anything we could do to make PUBLIC a partner in policing. We are ready to be involved in organising Police-Public Interaction on a regular basis. Our women rotarians and Innerwheelers could be in the panel to help the Police when women are brought in to station. Now the Police stations look plush in exteriors thanks to Donor support but we don’t see a change in the Police mindset. A perception change required.The Good feels it’s better to be away from Police at any cost and the bad feels they have a system to exploit.
peoplefriendlypolice said,
March 18, 2007 at 8:28 am
Dear Rotarian Jayaraman,
Much of what we do is in the nature of making the public a partner in policing, particularly through community outreach programmes in which the police inform community groups of their rights, and in turn, the people of a neighbourhood can visit their local PS and learn more about police processes. This has been successfully piloted across the State, especially in Bangalore City, and we would be delighted if the Rotarians took it further in their areas. If you contact your local district Superintendents of Police, they would be very willing to conduct such outreach programmes; we will also be in touch with you separately to take this forward.
A change in the police mindset is also what we are working towards, but we do urge you to visit your local PS and sincerely tell us if you feel that mindset has changed to some extent or not. Not all members of the public have had a negative experience with the police, but the image continues to prevail!