The New Indian Express ·
Is the lathi enough for the police to tackle lawbreakers?
There has been much talk about Kerala Police’s modernisation drive — embracing artificial intelligence, cyber policing, integrated beat management and a range of specialised digital systems aimed at making the force smarter and more efficient.
Yet, when officers confront a violent or unpredictable accused on the ground, the tool at hand often remains quite basic: the lathi.
At least six reported incidents involving police or prison personnel in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram over the past two months have brought this contrast into focus. The incidents, involving at least 12 personnel, include assaults during crowd-control operations, arrests and drug-related operations.
