Mid-career training for IPS officers: Patil

Hyderabad, Sep 12 (UNI) The Centre will soon start a mid-career training programme for Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, Union Home Minister Shivraj V Patil said today.

Speaking after inspecting a ceremonial parade at the prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy to celebrate 60 years of its inception, Mr Patil said these mandatory in-service courses at three levels would provide an excellant opportunity for IPS officers and equip them better professionaly.

''These courses will provide officers a unique and wonderful opportunity to train in the best of the institutions in the country and abroad and expose them to the latest advances in the field of police professionalism,'' he said amid applause from IPS officers.

Observing that the infrastructural facilities at the Academy needed to be constantly upgraded, he promised to sanction an indoor firing range.

He urged members of the police force to constantly sharpen their their knowledge in the technological and intellectual fields.

As the nation was on the march, the country faced newer and tougher challenges, he said, adding that terrorism, communalism, religious fundamentalism and left-wing extremism, kept intermittently knocking at the doors.

They brought with them the ''ugly deons'' of organised crime, trafficking of humans, weapons and drugs, money laundering and frauds that threatned national life.

Majority of people in the country were good and peace loving, he said and urged the police force to create an environment free of fear for them.

Maintenance of law and order was a crucial prerequisite to creation of an environment conducive to socio-economic development, he said.

Mr Patil stressed the need for community participation in policing so that law enforcement agencies could serve the people better.

The parade led by Academy Assistant Director (outdoors) Ajaykumar Nand and participated by 170 IPS officer trainees, including 30 women officers along with compatriots from Bhutan and Maldives, was witnessed by, among others, Maldives Commissioner of Police Adam Zahir.

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