A study of the working culture of the Nepal Police shows that the institution excessively relied on a traditional coercion-centric approach of treating people through intimidation and fear-inducing tactics. There prevailed a common belief within law enforcement authorities that the greater the fear of the police in society, the more people would follow the police orders. There was a time when a visit by a police constable to a village would make villagers hide in their homes out of sheer fear.
There was a time when a single police constable could round up 10 individuals from any village and march them straight to the District Police Office. No one dared to challenge the police by asking why they were being taken to the police station. To challenge the police was akin to tempting fate. Today, the situation has completely reversed. It is now difficult for even 10 police personnel to apprehend a single individual.
Globalization
As time passed, the orientation of the general public and government authorities also changed with the growing maturity of democratically developed societies. Globalization brought countries closer through democratic ideals, liberalized markets, expanded global media and technology-based governance, which fostered public awareness and institutional accountability.
Although Nepal is a medium-sized country, it cannot afford to remain isolated from the sweeping currents of global forces. The newly emerged world order deeply influenced not only the political philosophy of Nepal but also its entire institutional architecture and strategic orientation. Functioning of the Nepal Police gradually shifted from a force-centered model to service-oriented policing approach. However, it was not an easy task to transform the mindset of security personnel, who were deeply ingrained to adopt an iron-fist approach in dealing with the public.
In the immediate aftermath of the People’s Movement II, a negative perception emerged among humanitarian activists regarding human rights violations by the security organizations. The Nepal Police immediately initiated a comprehensive security reform program with two fundamental objectives—first, to change the mindset of security personnel so that they could embrace the ethos of ‘citizen-first’ policy, second, to instill in them a clear understanding that the uniform carries a meaningful weight of public trust, which demands the highest standard of professionalism and impartiality.
Since then, the entire organization has been treading the path of transformation, determined to reshape the institutional belief system and professional behavior. Such transformation does not take place overnight but the initiation is bound to show the seeds of positive thinking among security personnel, who are constantly at the frontline, interfacing with the public.
Community policing
One of the most widely acclaimed initiatives of the Nepal Police is community policing, which is instrumental to fill up long-standing chasms between the police organization and the local communities. Not all citizens may fully realize that the regular presence of the police, acting as silent sentinels at night, creates a powerful psychological sense of security, enabling them to sleep soundly. They remain assured that someone is keeping a watch while they are in slumber. It is ironic that the public rarely notices police personnel remaining alert at all times and working around the clock to respond to untoward situations as crime does not have office hours. The police, who protect others, are often seen unprotected themselves. Long hours of standing in one place, night patrols, insufficient logistics, and the sacrifice of family life leave the police physically exhausted and mentally fatigued.
Sir Robert Peel in 1829 established the Metropolitan Police Service in London with the motto ‘the police are the public and the public are the police’, laying a moral foundation for community-oriented policing. In Nepal, this initiative originated as a partnership-based approach, which sets goals to prevent crime, solve local problems and develop mutual trust and relations between the police personnel and community. The major thrust of the program is 'policing with people, not over the people’.
Despite initiating several programs aimed at changing the behavior of police personnel and strengthening public trust, the police still have a long way to go to achieve the set goals. Because of the repeated mismanagement of crowd control, the Nepal Police has come under public scrutiny and faced criticism. The Tikapur incident of Aug 2015 and the GenZ protest of September 2025 are among the unforgettable instances that contributed to widening the trust-gap between the state and the public.
These two painful occurrences indicate that a great deal of effort is necessary to make corrections in the days to come. Proper training of security personnel, seamless coordination among agencies, timely intelligence sharing, careful scenario building and the judicious use of self-defense tools are areas that must be given top priority at the time of handling crowds or controlling riots.
The assessment of crowd size and mood, identifying potential flashpoints and preparation of evacuation routes are essential elements of scenario building, which were missing in the above incidents.
Riots, protests, and violence can erupt out of the blue, becoming a factor of sufferings for frontline police staff. In such a heated situation, they must keep a cool head, rein in their fears and play a decisive role by following the security protocols to maintain effective law and order. Meanwhile, the gap between public expectations and police limitations should be bridged by delivering services with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
