Janamaithri Suraksha Project - Kerala Police

wardens supplemented the resources of the police in checking minor traffic offences. The sense
of security of the general public increased and the gap between public and police narrowed down
(Trozanowicz, Bayley, Peel).
b) Overall Heightened Sense of Security
With Janamaithri Suraksha Project the residents got an opportunity to closely interact with
the beat police officer, know him by name and face and could freely interact with him during house
visits. The house visits by the beat officer facilitated the process of familiarity. Residents felt that
the police is just a call’s away at the time of need and would definitely respond to their calls. This
resulted in a conscious awareness of safety in the neighborhood. People perceived that the crime
has gone down, though statistics proves otherwise, streets have become safer and anti-socials
elements are scared of the police.
c) Security for the vulnerable section
The Janamaithri Suraksha Project advocated pro-active engagement of the community
police officer with the senior citizens, women, students, destitute, slum dwellers etc. of the area
so that their sense of security is improved. The students through a programme called, Student
Police Cadet, are being groomed to be responsible citizens of the future. Some of the issues like
domestic violence, alcoholic abuses etc. are being resolved by the beat police officers as alternative
dispute redressal mechanism. Police in return has earned the much needed respect, good will
and trust of the people making its job easier.
d) Police mediation in availing basic services
A beat police officer by close interaction with residents of his Beat not only earns their good
will and trust but is perceived as the visible representative of the state in addition to the common
adage of being the strong arm. Residents of the Beat during their interaction bring various nonpolice
related issues to the notice of the Beat Officer, for example, lack of civic amenities like nonavailability
of street lights in the locality, irregular supply of drinking water, problems of solid waste
management etc. The Beat officer intervenes in such instances as they believe that lack of the
basic civic amenities and dumping of waste in a locality has the potential to lead to law and order
situation. Besides, they want to win the goodwill and trust of the residents they serve, thereby
developing a symbiotic relationship with the residents.
e) Empowerment of constabulary
The Beat Officers under Janamaithri scheme are mostly from the ranks of Constable and
Head Constable. They comprise the bottom of the police hierarchy, suffer from low motivation,
lack initiatives and are never been part of the decision making process. Janamaithri provided the
opportunity to the Beat Officers the much needed visibility, recognition, respect and self-esteem
and in the process empowered the constabulary. By introduction of linking pin structure in the
department, it led to greater organisational commitment and job satisfaction among the lower level
police officers (Choudhury).
f) Institutionalization
Janamaithri Suraksha Project culminated as a flagship community policing scheme of
Kerala Police after almost after a decade long committed efforts of the police leadership. Starting
from enlisting political consensus for the scheme to publication of Government Order and finally
making legal provision in the new Kerala Police Act, the process of institutionalization has been an
ongoing process. Uniform and centralized training programme for the Beat Officers, appointment
of a state level Nodal Officer, budgetary provision, publication of standard operating procedure in
shape of Police Circular Order and increase in the sanctioned strength of the staff in Janamaithri
police stations are some of the processes to institutionalize the scheme in the State.
1.5. Policy Context- Process- Outcome Matrix
After having articulated the key findings in the preceding section, a Model has been
conceptualized by triangulating the theories and praxis and organising them in a Context-Process-
Outcome framework in respect of pre-implementation, implementation and impact phases to serve
as guidelines for both the policy makers and implementers in their efforts to introduce community
policing as a public policy.
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