Address as sir, friend, sister: Kerala Police’s novel ways to better image

Often ridiculed and criticised for its rough disposition, Kerala Police has found a novel way to enhance its reputation in the positive way: address civilians as ‘sir/madam’, ‘friend’ or ‘brother/sister’. It can sound simplistic, but has the potential to usher a revolutionary change in its image, the 1956-founded law-enforcement agency noted in its latest resolution.

“If there is any personnel still left with the taking a petty criminal for a seasoned don, then he or she will shed the attitude now,” the Kerala Police Officers Association declared. “We thus hope to look dignified before the public, whose trust and respect we strive to earn.”

The organisation, comprising assistant sub-inspectors up till circle inspectors, noted in its resolution passed by its state council the weekend that Kerala police was in the front in efficiency compared to its counterparts in the country. Yet, the style of conduct remained backward, warranting immediate reforms where the men and women in khaki shouldn’t discriminate against the aggrieved from the underprivileged segments of population, the resolution added.

“It isn’t with enemies we deal with while performing duty. It’s with Indian citizens,” the paper noted. “They may be of different nature, but the police personnel can be only of one type: empathetic.” The officers wanted relinquishing of third-degree punishments that are vestigial layers of the police’s history in the state.

No red, just white

Memorial at the association’s meet will stop sporting red. Instead, they will be painted white, which is the colour of the organisation.

White had traditionally been the colour of such memorials. It’s in the association last meeting under the CPI(M)-led LDF government that they acquired crimson hues. Some even raised the famed Leftist slogan of Inquilab Zindabad (Let revolution win) at the memorials, even as they got a few different colours in other venues. Overall, the situation triggered a controversy, following which DGP Lokanath Behera ordered uniformity in the colour of the police memorials. Hence the decision to stick to white.

Ceremonies hailing the martyrs from the police will continue.