Yogi Adityanath issues key directives on policing, women safety, cybercrime and prison reforms at Police Manthan

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday laid out a wide-ranging roadmap to strengthen policing, women safety, cybercrime response and prison reforms during the conclusion of multiple sessions at the Police Manthan programme. Addressing senior police officers and officials, the Chief Minister underlined that effective policing must be people-centric, technology-driven and rooted at the grassroots level.

CM Yogi directed that village-level chowkidars be closely linked with the police beat system. He said chowkidars understand local social structures well and can play a crucial role in crime prevention, intelligence gathering and quick action. He also stressed regular interaction between beat constables, sub-inspectors and villagers to improve public trust and law and order at the ground level.

On women and child safety, the Chief Minister said Mission Shakti cannot succeed through police efforts alone. All departments must work together with coordination and shared responsibility. He highlighted the need for both internal safety (within families and society) and external safety at markets, workplaces and public places through Anti-Romeo Squads and women beat police.

CM Yogi asked women beat police to hold regular meetings with local women and increase awareness about toll-free helpline numbers. He said this would help create trust and ensure quick assistance. He also emphasized stronger training for women police personnel so they can work confidently in the field, adding that women feeling safer in Uttar Pradesh is a major achievement for the state police.

Calling police stations the backbone of the policing system, the Chief Minister said station house officers must be appointed strictly on merit. Political interference should be minimal, and unnecessary pressure must be rejected. He added that security cover should be given based on need, not as a status symbol.

As part of structural reforms, CM Yogi said around 50,000 police personnel need to be deployed in police stations. Separate modern police station models should be developed for urban and rural areas, with facilities like parking, barracks, and public service spaces. Clear policies and faster decisions are needed for police stations, commissionerates, and fire stations to ensure proper use of the budget.

The Chief Minister admitted that while police behaviour during major events like the Maha Kumbh received praise, complaints continue in daily policing. He called for regular counselling, better monitoring of the beat system, and linking performance with annual reports to fix accountability.

On cybercrime, CM Yogi said digital transactions have increased convenience but also fraud cases involving fake calls, OTP scams, and account detail theft. He suggested using the beat system, women beat police, and the BC Sakhi network to spread awareness, especially in rural areas. The state has expanded cyber help desks from 2 to 75 police stations and strengthened the 1930 cyber helpline, but more improvement is still needed, he said.

The Chief Minister said police training capacity in Uttar Pradesh has grown from limited levels before 2017 to nearly 60,000 today, marking over a tenfold increase. Better training, he said, has made the police force more disciplined, efficient, and sensitive toward citizens.

CM Yogi directed that police lines should not remain just administrative units. He suggested developing police museums, traffic parks and awareness centres for school children. Cyber control room-like facilities should also be created in every district in a phased manner.

Highlighting human resource reforms, the Chief Minister said over 1.55 lakh police personnel have been promoted so far. Promotions must focus on quality and performance, along with balanced staffing across districts.

On prison reforms, CM Yogi called for early release of elderly inmates, women, seriously ill prisoners, and those who have completed their sentence, following a humanitarian approach. He also stressed careful investigation in sensitive cases like dowry harassment to avoid unnecessary suffering for innocent families.

The Chief Minister ordered strict monitoring of jailed mafia and organised criminals. Their court appearances should happen through video conferencing, and trained personnel must ensure such criminals get no opportunity to misuse the system.

CM Yogi said earlier governments failed to punish hardened criminals effectively, but now the use of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and forensic evidence has improved conviction rates. He highlighted the establishment of a Forensic Science Institute in Uttar Pradesh and directed that every district should have forensic experts following strict evidence protocols.