In a significant move to streamline official communication, the Himachal Pradesh Police has imposed strict restrictions on who can brief the media. The Director General of Police (DGP), Sanjay Kundu, has issued explicit orders prohibiting Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) and Station House Officers (SHOs) from directly interacting with journalists to share information or updates on cases.
New Protocol for Police-Media Interaction
The fresh directives mandate that only specifically authorized officers will now be responsible for communicating with the press. According to the orders, media briefings concerning police stations and sub-divisions must be conducted solely by the concerned Superintendent of Police (SP) or the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in charge of the police district. This move centralizes the flow of information, aiming to ensure accuracy and prevent the dissemination of unverified or premature details from ongoing investigations.
The decision was formalized through an official order from the police headquarters. The rationale behind this step is to establish a more controlled and responsible channel for sharing information with the public via the media. The police administration believes that having senior, designated officers handle press interactions will lead to more consistent and reliable reporting on law and order matters.
Impact on Ground-Level Information Flow
This new protocol marks a clear shift in the day-to-day operations of police-media relations. Previously, SDPOs and SHOs, who are directly overseeing investigations and operations in their jurisdictions, often provided immediate updates to local media. Under the revised rules, these officers are no longer permitted to hold press conferences or issue statements independently. Any information from their level must now be routed through and communicated by their superior SP or DSP.
The order effectively limits the number of official spokespersons for the police force at the district and sub-divisional levels. While the headquarters did not cite specific incidents leading to this decision, such measures are often implemented to prevent contradictory statements, manage sensitive information during critical investigations, and present a unified command structure to the public.
Reactions and Expected Outcomes
The directive from DGP Sanjay Kundu is seen as an effort to bring more discipline and protocol to police communications. By vesting the authority with SPs and DSPs, the top brass expects to mitigate risks associated with unauthorized or speculative information being released. The move underscores the importance the police department places on the accuracy and official nature of information related to its work.
For journalists and media houses, this means the primary points of contact for police news in the districts will now be fewer and more senior. It may potentially slow down the immediate availability of informal updates but is intended to guarantee that the information provided is thoroughly vetted and official. The success of this policy will hinge on the accessibility and responsiveness of the designated SPs and DSPs to media queries in a timely manner.
This development is a key administrative change within the Himachal Pradesh Police apparatus, reflecting a broader trend in law enforcement agencies to tightly manage their public-facing communications in an era of rapid information spread.
