Accountability in the Karnataka State Police in India

Abstract

The police department is generally considered to be more non-transparent than the other departments of the government. This paper details the trajectory of a study that Public Affairs Centre (PAC) carried out to look at practices of transparency and accountability in the police stations in Karnataka state (India), which are the focal points of direct citizen interaction with the police personnel to seek protection of their life and property and for grievance redress. Using the Citizen Report Card (CRC) approach, a systematic survey of 100 police stations covering 500 police personnel and 2,000 users of police services including complainants was carried out in Karnataka. The user survey focused on their experiences in reporting, registering and resolving grievances or problems. Observations of police stations and interviews with police personnel elicited views on how well they are able to process and settle the complainants’ problems and the difficulties and constraints they face in the course of this and other everyday work. The evidence generated was then used to stimulate the leadership of the State Police Department to create an agenda for reform to bring in greater transparency and accountability. The implementation of these reforms took place within a short period after the study report was submitted.