DGP Of Strategic Depth: A Year To G.P Singh
As Assam DGP G.P Singh completes one year in the office, a look back to his tenure suggests that it was'nt an ordinary tenure of state DGP. Singh's tenure perhaps was a good mix of opportunities and challenges, which he addressed and capitalized well. A closer look at Singh's one year indicates two essential elements- strategic depth and 360-degree policing. Both these elements have now become sin qua non in a complexly charged landscape of policing.
Singh's 360 degree policing covered- Assam police's modernization, which was two fold- one was using technology and structure, and the second was quality of manpower. Assam Police's initiative to make a fit police force by taking the BMI test, including other various fitness parameters, and offering the exit door to those who fail the test. Around 300 Assam police officers are said to be given VRS. Assam Police's efforts to foster cooperation with Microsoft and India up foundation to bolster cyber-response and crisis response, the streamlining of Project MOITRI- an initiative of modernizing Assam Police station is one of the key highlights. Even structurally, Singh attempted to bring efficiency in the police's human resource component and field policing by regulating the duty hours and special leaves, strengthening the police welfare, fixing police accountability at the district level, including swift action on corruption cases and, most importantly, promoting community policing by launching the Assam police channel on YouTube. The glaring aspect of Singh's tenure was his strategic depth or foresight, which came into full light last year. Singh's strategic depth flows from his foresight and strategic coordination. Singh's giving strategic outlook to the force by inculcating strategic culture by establishing anti-riots force to bringing up bringing up NSG trained Commando force, this enabled Assam police to some extent to act as a strong security cover to the North Eastern security landscape and prevented spillover of Manipur insurgency. is one example of strategic farsightedness. The strategic coordination of DGP and central agencies for successful ULFA negotiations and coordinating strategic cooperation with NIA in investigating a few cases of insurgency.
G.P Singh's tenure perphas serves a good case of multi vectored policing with strategic touch even at the individual level, Singh's strong grit and high intergirity boosted the morale of the police force. Such cases of DGPs are quite rare in the current scenario, the lessons of Singh's multi-vectored policing and inculcation of strategic culture must be imbibed by the other police forces as it is now need of hour in today's complexly charged policing ladscape of India.
