Police reform: Needed something beyond laws

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Shamsul Huq Zahid
Those who watched Inspector General of Police (IGP) Noor Mohammad speaking to newsmen on TV Monday evening or read his statement on police reforms in newspaper next day must have been greatly surprised.
How can the top police official unlike his predecessors be so straightforward and serious about reforms in his own organisation? Many might have wondered.
Was it just a show-off before the media? Possibly not. His body language made it amply clear that he meant business as far as police reforms were concerned.
Noor Mohammad said: "The police as an institution is weak. But we as policemen do want to be on the right track. Let there be reforms to put us on that track. But such reforms are not taking place. I am constrained to say some vested quarters are not allowing that (reforms) to take place with a view to protecting their own interest."
He vented his frustration saying, "I have been requesting all concerned to get the police ordinance promulgated for the last one and a half years. But that has not happened until now."
The ordinance he referred to was drafted during the tenure of the present caretaker government to replace an obsolete and outdated piece of legislation called, the Police Act of 1861. The Act has gone through changes from time to time, but it had never been made time-befitting by governments that ruled this country before and after 1971.
The draft ordinance, styled, Police Ordinance-2007, was submitted before the home ministry for necessary actions. The police collected opinions of at least 67,000 people belonging to various sections of the society before drafting the ordinance. But, a section of the administration, allegedly, is opposed to the adoption of the ordinance.
The people and the government have always been unanimous about the need for reforming the police. And one of the ways of achieving that goal, obviously, is legal reforms. But the police are ought to go through other reforms without which they would never become even a near-perfect institution dedicated to the cause of people's safety and security.
The IG of police seemed very frustrated by the delay in the adoption of the new police act. He has reasons for that and all concerned do appreciate this.
However, it must also be noted here that the law alone would not make any tangible change in the workings of the police force. Side by side with a well-prepared law, there should be provisions for better perks and privileges for the police force. The police do deserve the same by dint of the types of service they are meant to offer to the people and the state. But one might, however, feel tempted to point out the poor quality of service being rendered by the police and ask whether the police deserve anything better now. But performance evaluation should come only after providing what the police need to carry out their jobs efficiently and lead a decent life.
What the police need more than anything else is a radical change in their attitude to the people. The police are raised and maintained with taxpayers' money and taxpayers are supposed to get their money's worth. This is one particular area where the people have a lot to complain about.
There can be laws and rules to regulate the services of any disciplined force. But those cannot effect any attitudinal change among the members of that force. It should partly come from within of every individual member of the police force and the rest needs to be inculcated through motivational campaigns and training sessions.
"Forget it, it is better to avoid police" is the most common reaction of victims of criminal acts. The reaction would have been the opposite had the police always demonstrated sympathy for the victims and acted swiftly to nab the criminals.
Who does not know about the excesses indulged in by the police in many cases? Police and bribe have become synonymous in this part of the world for centuries. Toll collection from street hawkers and bus and truck drivers is a common event. When orders come from the top to round off anti-social elements, the police pick up youths and juveniles from the streets randomly and make a good business out of their negotiated release. Then again for the poor and low income people, lodging complaints with police stations, in most cases, is an expensive affair.
How can one having gone through all the above mentioned experiences have faith in police?
An updated law for the police is highly essential. The frustration of the IG of police over the delay in getting the same is also understandable. But there are something called moral degradation which cannot be rectified by legal means. The IG police must not overlook that issue and do his best to inspire the members of the police force to be friendly with the people approaching them with various problems.
Zahidfe@yahoo.com