Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said Saturday that police should aim to earn respect from people rather than evoking fear.
He was speaking after inaugurating a multi-storey housing complex for police personnel at Mahesh Guard Police Line here.
"The law-enforcers' image and working style should be such that people look at them with respect rather than with fear," he said.
"Be it a village or a city, the connect between society and police is of paramount importance. Society should harbor warm feelings towards police," he added.
His government was working to better the living standards of the police force, he said, mentioning that it is ensuring that they get a weekly off.
The force should strive to become more professional and adopt new techniques of investigation, Nath said.
"In cyber crime investigations, technology plays the most crucial role. In an age of rapid technology advancement, law-enforcers should be ahead of law-breakers," the chief minister said.