Duties of Police

The various duties of police include:

1. Investigation related duties and jobs
2. Crime prevention and preservation of peace and security
3. Crime detection work
4. Order maintenance and security jobs
5. Enforcement of Social Legislation, Minor, Major and Special Acts
6. Collection of Intelligence
7. Democratic and election related duties
8. Natural calamities, Disaster and emergency duties
9. Maintenance of Police Records
10. Public Relations Officer (PRO) duties
11. Assistance to other departments
12. Miscellaneous duties and functions

Investigation related duties and jobs

This would include police functions like:

1. guarding, protecting visit to the scene of crime
2. lifting, handling and packing of exhibits and sending them to various
3. places like the PS, SP office, FSL and other places calling witnesses and serving notices to them
4. calling witnesses and serving notices to them
5. arresting criminals and suspects
6. search and seizure proceedings during an investigation
7. interrogation of suspects, witnesses and criminals
8. collection and recording of various types of evidences i.e. oral, documentary and expert opinion etc.
9. taking criminals to courts for police/judicial custody and trial
10. raids for various purposes.

Crime prevention and preservation of peace and security

This would include:

1. gast and patrolling, including nakabandi, performing picket and ambush jobs, checking vehicles and frisking passengers
2. surveillance and checking of bad characters
3. preventive arrests
4. collection and transmission of criminal intelligence

Crime detection work

The crime detection job profile would include:

1. collection of information/intelligence about criminals of various types and taking notes from the CIG.
2. creation of mukhbirs/informers and creating contacts with the members of criminal tribes and other segments of society so as to obtain useful information with regard to the detection of various property and other offences like murder, dacoity, robbery etc.

Order maintenance and security jobs

This profile would include among other things the following tasks:

1. surveillance, watch and action to be taken during peaceful processions, demonstrations and strikes of various types
2. action to be taken on agitating and unruly mobs. This would include pushing off agitators, stopping them with improvised barricades and effective intervention to contain mobs under the instructions of senior officers and the use of force whenever needed
3. protection of vital installations during the spate of crimes and emergencies of various types
4. VIP security and performance of various duties during VIP visits in different capacities.

Enforcement of Social Legislation, Minor, Major and Special Acts

Performance of this role would require the police:

1. to know the significance and importance of various social legislations like Child Marriage Restraint Act, Protection of Civil Rights Act, anti-dowry, guest-control and other social legislations which provide a positive and adequate push to social change in a development-oriented society like India. The role of a constable in the implementation of these acts has to be an integral part of the job profile of the constabulary.
2. to know the significance and importance of various local, special and minor acts along with the role of constabulary in the effective execution of the various provisions thereof.

Collection of Intelligence

Police are required to collect intelligence about:

1. any incident of law and order
2. political activities
3. labour activities
4. student activities and agitations thereof
5. communal tensions and events
6. employees’ associations and strikes by them
7. criminal activities
8. miscellaneous activities and events tending to destroy peace and tranquility.

Democratic and election related duties

In order to perform their role adequately the police must know:

1. importance of elections
2. types of elections
3. the role of police in ensuring the conduct of free, fair and impartial elections
4. various duties of a constable during different types of elections.

Natural calamities, Disaster and emergency duties

Various jobs like saving life and property, providing shelter, rehabilitation, evacuation of people from crisis situations and their transportation during:

1. fires
2. floods
3. famines
4. the spread of an epidemic
5. the breakout of war or external aggression
6. internal disorders like communal riots, struggle between
7. various classes, castes and sects and other clashes

Maintenance of Police Records

This would include:

1. proper handling of the record
2. upkeep and maintenance of the record
3. preparation, destruction, revision and modification of the record of various police units

Public Relations Officer (PRO) duties

Police are the most visible and effective PROs of the police department. They should thereof understand:

1. the importance of PCR and its present state in the area of their operations and functions and
2. the role of constables in improving PCR and police image

Assistance to other departments

This would include assistance to:

1. the education department during examinations, students, and employees’ strikes and other situations of disorder,
2. the revenue department and loaning organizations for recovery of loans revenue collection etc.,
3. the departments like banks and municipalities for guards etc for the removal of encroachments etc, and
4. the other departments as and when the need arises.

Miscellaneous duties and functions

This would include:

1. ceremonial duties
2. discharging regulatory duties and regulation of traffic and traffic management duties.
3. comprehension of the norms of loyalty, commitment, neutrality and impartiality in the discharge of one’s functions
4. obligation and commitment to the Govt. and to the police organization
5. contribution of constables during anti-dacoity operations, raids, emergencies, rounding up of and controlling of goonda and anti-social elements

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