Recruiting 3,900 personnel is not an achievement in itself. The real achievement is whether crime has reduced, lives have been saved, and public safety has improved.
– Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister
Tura, May 21: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has said the police’s achievement lies in ensuring public safety, and not just having more manpower and infrastructure.
Addressing the SSP–COs Conference 2026 at Tree House, Tura on Thursday, the Chief Minister remarked that institutional achievements should be measured not by recruitment numbers or infrastructure expansion alone.
“Recruiting 3,900 personnel is not an achievement in itself. The real achievement is whether crime has reduced, lives have been saved, and public safety has improved,” he categorically said while underscoring the need for continuous training, covering areas such as law and order, behavioural sciences, intelligence gathering, and technology adoption.
Senior police leadership and field officers of state police gathered at the conference for detailed deliberations on operational efficiency, administrative reforms, law and order management, and infrastructure strengthening of the force.
The Chief Minister, while calling for regular conduct of the SSP–COs Conference, noted that the absence of regular meetings in earlier years had resulted in communication gaps affecting departmental functioning.
On the choice of venue, he said it was part of a broader intent to rotate such important conferences across different locations in the state, adding that this should become a regular practice in the future.
“I fully support that in the future we may hold them in places like Jowai or Nongstoin or other locations on a rotational basis,” he said.
Referring to certain issues raised during presentations, including matters related to NPS, he noted that some concerns had not been previously brought to the government’s attention despite their long-standing nature.
“Even in my eight years as Chief Minister, I have not heard of this issue being raised in this manner,” he observed, urging officers to fully utilise the platform to share all relevant issues faced by the department.
He assured that while not all issues may have immediate solutions, the government remains committed to examining and resolving them in a structured manner.
The Chief Minister also instructed that all presentations made during the conference be compiled and shared with his office for detailed review.
He further suggested that key issues emerging from the conference be taken up in a joint review meeting involving the Chief Minister, DGP, Home Department and the concerned Minister to enable time-bound decisions and actionable outcomes.
Emphasizing the need for outcome-oriented policing, he stated that the conference should progressively move beyond administrative and service-related discussions to core policing priorities.
“Ultimately, the core of policing must remain law and order, crime prevention, and public safety,” he said, highlighting issues such as crimes against women and children, drug-related offences, conviction rates, and grassroots security mechanisms.
Appreciating the efforts of the police force, the Chief Minister acknowledged the challenging nature of policing work and expressed gratitude for their service.
“Policing is not an easy job, and all of you work under challenging conditions at the grassroots level to maintain law and order in the state,” he said, adding that the government values the dedication of every officer.
