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COMMUNITY POLICING IN
SLUMS -- NEW EXPERIMENT
IN SEWREE, MUMBAI
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Dr. PRADNYA
SARAVADE ,
Deputy Inspector
General of Police ,
Anti-Corruption Bureau ,
Mumbai.
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People come to cities for better opportunities to earn
their livelihood. There is an unabated migration towards
cities from rural and underdeveloped areas. Such migration
is not restricted by the geographical boundaries of States
and instead what is seen is a continuous translocation of
the poor from villages and small towns from all over the
country, into a big city like Mumbai. Once they arrive in
Mumbai the looming problem they immediately face is that of
acquiring a roof over their heads. They can start earning
some money by doing all kinds of jobs available in the
market. But the only place for them to house themselves are
the slums and footpaths.
The slums have, therefore, spread over all the available
public and Government spaces in the city. It is said that
50% of Mumbai's population lives in slums.
In the Port Zone of Mumbai City Police, there are two
important Police Station areas which have a large slum
population -- Sewree and Wadala. Most families residing in
Sweree live in small 8 x 6 sq.ft. rooms in congested
localities. The average monthly earning of these families is
approx. Rs. 2,000/-. The average educational level of the
earning members of these families is 7th Standard. Most of
residents of the slums in Sewree do not have much formal
education at all. Thus, the area is largely populated by low
income earning, minimally educated, daily wage earning type
of people. Social problems like alcoholism, drug abuse and
gambling are prevalent here because of poverty, lack of
education and better opportunities and poor living
conditions. Being unauthorized and illegal, the slums have
minimal access to tap water supply and electricity.
On analysis the crime pattern and especially the reasons for peoples visits
into the police station in Sewree, the following interesting facts emerged :-
| (1) |
In the last six months, the Police Station recorded 78
FIRs, out of which
in 41 were body offences and 37 were property offences. |
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| (2) |
In the same period, the Police Station recorded 727 non-cognizable
in matters which were reported to it. |
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| (3) |
Analysis of the NC complaints is as follows :- |
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Type of repeated complaints in the last six
months :
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(a) |
Altercation on issue of usage of common tap
water - 4 |
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(b) |
Altercation over premises - 1 |
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(c) |
Sudden quarrel - 2 |
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(d) |
Altercation between adults over fight between
small children - 2 |
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(e) |
Altercation due to other minor reasons - 4 |
A perusal of the above facts clearly showed that
the people residing in Sewree Police Station area
have been coming to their Police Station largely to
get police help in resolving their NC matters.
Obviously, being non-cognizable complaints, these
points of friction have remained largely unattended
to by the police, except for taking legal preventive
action in stray cases. Dissatisfaction with police
action/inaction or perceived biased police action
was, therefore, high in such localities. This was
visible from the large number of petitions to senior
officers.
In order to address the problems of the people,
keeping in mind their need for police intervention,
a Mohalla Panchayat Programme was started in Sewree
Police Station area from May, 2001. In this
programme, we identified ten geographical sectors,
which were separate clusters of population living in
slums. Ten to eleven persons, including 3-4 women of
good reputation and balanced judgment, living in
these localities, were identified and nominated to
the Mohalla Panchayat, in each of the ten
localities. One Police Inspector of the Police
Station besides the Sr. Inspector, each Inspector
has been assigned to more than one Mohalla Panchayat.
The task of the Panchayat including the Police
Inspector convening it, is to meet at least once a
week, at a spot in the same locality and bring
before it, the disputing parties and disputes which
resulted in recording of NCs at the Police
Station/Beat House during the week. Till mid-June
2001, there have been 20 Mohalla Panchayat meetings
in various localities of the Police Station area and
61 NC disputes reported at the Police Station have
been satisfactorily settled in these Panchayat. At
the typical Mohalla Panchayat meeting in the
locality besides the ten or eleven nominated
residents and the disputing parties, a large number
of onlooking residents view the proceedings.
Everybody feels free to intervene if the matter has
not been viewed in proper perspective by the Mohalla
Panchayat. Uninvolved people of the localities as
well as the disputing parties accept the consensual
decision of the Mohalla Panchayat perceiving it to
be fair and just. Taking of decision by the Mohalla
Panchayat increases the acceptability of such
decisions by all concerned. The Police Inspector and
his men attending the Panchayat also come to be
increasingly accepted by the community as part of
themselves and there is decreased distrust between
police and the people.
I would like to enumerate some good fallouts of this uniquely adapted
in Community Policing Programme in Sweree. The perceptible satisfaction level of the people that the Police Station
in caters to, is now better. The number of NCs recorded at the Police Station in
the period, 15th May, 2001 to 15th June, 2001, was 115. The figure for the
in corresponding period in 2000 was 120 and the average monthly NCs for the year
in 2000 was 105. Monitoring of NCs recorded and public petitions of grievances will
in be done over a longer span of time in order to correctly evaluate the usefulness
in of this programme. The police officers conduct the Mohalla Panchayat in the respective
in localities. This has meant that the concerned police officers are getting better
in acquainted with the common people of these areas. The mistrust of the people
in towards the police has come down and policing as a service has gone to the
in doorstep of the communities. It is further expected that this programme run over a period of time, will
in bring people even more closer to the Police Station Officers and there will be
in greater participation and help from the local communities in solving cognizable
in crimes. Due to active interaction between the local people and the Police
in Station Officers, it is expected that the availability of intelligence on law
in and order and communal matters will increase at the Police Station and the
in Police Station will be able to deliver its services in maintaining peace and
in communal harmony in the area more effectively. The Mohalla Panchayat Programme
in has been adapted from the Village Panchayat formats which are already existing
in rural areas, for better policing of slums in
Sewree, Mumbai. Special care has
in been taken to carefully nominate members to the Mohalla
Panchayat, excluding any
in political, caste or religious considerations and ensuring that there is a 30-35%
in women's representation on these Panchayats. This careful selection of members as
in well as the holding of Mohalla Panchayat meetings in the respective localities,
in has increased the people's acceptability of this initiative by the Police.
In Rather, there is an overwhelming response from the local people and the
in programme in perceived as honest and effective, by the people. The success of
in this programme has largely been due to the structuring of a programme which is
in well adapted to the requirements of the local people. Every community Policing
in initiative should, therefore, aim to understand and reflect solutions for the
in unique requirements of each local area.
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