Commissionerate system changed police's image, says ex-UP DGP

As police commissioner system in two cities, Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar, of Uttar Pradesh successfully completes five years on Monday, the Hindustan Times had a conversation with retired UP director general of police OP Singh asking how he managed to convince the political masters to accept it.

- Rohit Kumar Singh

LUCKNOW:

He was also asked as to how he succeeded in changing the mindset of using police force for public benefit rather than using just as a force to overpower any person or system and counter the IAS lobby that was apparently against it, thinking it will lose the authority with the introduction of the police commissionerate system.

"Barely a couple of weeks before my retirement on January 13, 2020, I made it a point to revive the idea in a manner that it became a thriving reality and benefit common man with the new system. I had in my mind since I was made UP DGP in January 2018 to convince the political masters and change the mindset about the new system," said OP Singh while recalling the challenges faced in introducing the police commissioner system.

"Finally, I succeeded in my intent in the backdrop of anti-Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) protests across the state in which as many as 22 people were killed after the act was passed by Parliament on December 9, 2019," he added.