THERE is an urgent need to rethink the role the police should be playing in order to check incidents of crime. It was painful to see hundreds of rioters who had gathered to protest against police high-handedness in Mandi Faizabad. The blame for the traffic mess around the city that ensued, also indirectly falls on the concerned officials. That the demonstrators had to stage a sit-in in front of the Governor House, indicates that justice is a commodity rarely found in police stations. The protesters claimed that the culprits had shot dead one of their tenants, who were being patronized by the police. They also claimed that the police had freed them despite the fact that a case had already been registered against them. Though the crowd dispersed on being assured by the authorities that officers found guilty would be punished, the chances that they would get justice are slim. Cases where the police collude with the criminals are common and reflect poorly on the functioning of the department as a whole. Those at the helm should be doing something to bring about the required change in its mindset.