Limit traffic police tenure to five years: Complaints body

Traffic police personnel are exposed to several occupational health hazards while performing their duties on city roads, the letter states.

Citing repeated allegations of corruption, irregularities, misconduct and abuse of power involving traffic police personnel, the Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority has urged the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) to limit the tenure of traffic police personnel in urban areas to five years.

In a letter to the State police chief, Authority member Mohan Kumar Danappa recommended that police personnel ranging from constables to Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs) who complete five years of service in the traffic wing be compulsorily transferred to other police units, including law and order, crime and police stations.

He pointed out that traffic police personnel are exposed to several occupational health hazards while performing their duties on city roads. Continuous exposure to toxic vehicular emissions, dust, air and noise pollution, extreme heat and adverse weather conditions can have serious consequences for their physical and mental health.

The letter refers to various health problems reportedly experienced by traffic police personnel, including lead accumulation in the blood, respiratory and lung disorders, cardiovascular diseases, stress, diabetes, varicose veins due to prolonged standing, eye irritation, sleep disorders and hearing problems.

Apart from health concerns, Mr. Danappa highlighted allegations of corruption, suppression of traffic violations through illegal payments, dereliction of duty, rude behaviour towards members of the public, and assault and harassment by traffic police personnel. Such incidents, he said, have eroded public confidence in the police force.

He also cited the recent suspension of three personnel attached to the High Grounds Traffic Police Station in Bengaluru for allegedly harassing motorists, deliberately switching off body-worn cameras and illegally collecting money in the name of enforcing traffic rules.

Emphasising the need for equal opportunities, service fairness, transparency, efficiency and the welfare of police personnel, he referred to the objectives of the Karnataka Police Manual and the Karnataka Police Act, 1963, which envisage the rotation of personnel across different duties and units, to make his case.