'Pandu Hawaldar' gets an image makeover

We had seen police constables in old Hindi movies, wearing blue uniform with three-quarter length pants, carrying a lathi and popularly called ‘pandu hawaldar.’ But the face of the Mumbai police is changing. With constables having graduated in cyber laws, BSc and accounts, the city police are all geared up change the image of its constabulary.

In the last three years, nearly 9,000 constables were recruited in the city police, of which 2,500 are graduates and above. The Mumbai police have started a talent scouting drive where they will look constables with good academic and professional background.

Every day, at least 20 probationary police sub-inspectors and 100 constables are screened by the top brass of the city police wherein as per their professional and academic background, their postings are finalised. It is not that the constabulary of the force had always been full of undergraduates, but the fact was that, even though they had a strong educational background, they were underutilised. The drive will ensure that right people are posted in the right jobs.

It had often been found that the police had sought assistance from professionals like lawyers, accountants and cyber experts for important cases. But this will not be the case anymore.

Those who have background in accounts and have worked with private banks before joining the force have a great career with the economic offences wing, a specialised branch that deals with monetary and white collar crimes, while those who have graduated with cyber laws, can pursue their career with the cyber-crime cell of the city police.

This will ensure that an account graduate is posted with EOW, rather than any other department, where his knowledge is not utilised.

The department is also ensuring that these constables will be given other perks like relief from bandobast duty or VIP security duty and night rounds. Instead in other side branches, they are entitled not only for a one-step promotion, but also a raise.

Working in these side branches will also give ample time and opportunity to a constable to prepare for higher studies.

A recent example where the constabulary’s power was displayed within the city police was when 34 ministerial clerks were shunted from the licensing department of the city police, giving way to 16 constables, after it was learnt that a lot of files were pending for the last three years. Once the constables came in, the pendency came down from 1,700 to a mere 70 files.