Kerala Police has a reputation for being one of the best-managed state police forces in the country and is one of the top-ranking states in terms of maintenance of law and order. Kerala police is also one of the first police departments in South Asia to implement community policing through an enactment. It is popularly known as 'Janamaithri' policing, which literally translates to people-friendly policing Kerala Police.
Kerala Police has been the fountain head of several police reforms and innovative schemes in the country. A new Kerala Police Act enacted in 2011 was a guiding light for many other state police forces in the country to draft their own local Police Acts. Student Police Cadet Scheme piloted by the Kerala state during 2008-2010, to positively tackle adolescent deviant behaviour and encourage good citizenship values among youth has been endorsed as a plan scheme by Ministry of Home Affairs and has now been adopted by many other states in India. Similarly, initiatives such as Kerala Police Cyberdome, a PPP model in cyber governance and Kerala Police CoCoN, a flagship annual conference on cyber security and digital strategies to tackle crimes, have earned a respectable place in the hearts of all stakeholders.
The high literacy levels in Kerala society are also reflected in the high levels of educational qualification among the cutting edge level police officials of Kerala Police. Their demeanour, turn-out and skill levels in dealing with citizens, mirror their education levels. The recruitment of constabulary level officials done through a stringent competitive exam by an independent Public Service Commission echoes the ethos of Kerala society for transparency and fairness. The newly recruited Police officials are trained in the latest police subjects, both indoor and outdoor, and nurtured to live up to the motto of Kerala Police.