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by Lionel Wijesiri

The cordial relationship between police and public is one of those intangibles of a democratic Government which comes into no statutes, but which is nevertheless, one of its essential ingredients.

This relationship forms a reciprocally influencing system. On one hand, we cannot expect a police force to carry out its duties with satisfaction to itself and to the country without the help of the public. On the other the public must be satisfied that the police are acting within the powers conferred to them and they give reasonable information of their activities.

Studies show that an average Sri Lankan's opinion of the police is formed on the basis of encounters with them on the street and at the Police Station.

The encounters are fraught with difficulties, however, because of the contradictory expectations of each party. The public expects the police to be polite, sympathetic and understanding, while policemen generally expect the public to be deferential. The police wish to have their authority and status recognized while members of the public expect policemen to display softer human qualities.

Not surprisingly, when set against this background, research has charted deterioration in relations between the public and the police over the last five decades: particularly in the case of the common citizen without the right "connection".

So this problem of police-public relations is much more complicated that it seems to appear. The police have to enforce many regulations, which touch the public life at many a time, which may (and often did) cause resentment on one side or another. These resentments are due to no other reason, but simply to the political and social conditions, which we have developed since independence.

Information

Any reasonable survey would reveal the appalling lack of information on the part of our public concerning the work of our police force and the conditions under which they operate. It is a subject to which our police authorities should give serious attention. The more the police can bring members of the public into their routine work, as apart from investigations, the better it will be for both sides.

Police public relations in Sri Lanka are still in doldrums. The rank and file have failed to respond favourably to the objectives set by the public.

What are the obstacles faced by a police official in performing his duties objectively? Tilak Iddamalgoda, Senior DIG, who retired 5 years ago, in his book "Crime and Poverty" enumerates three major constraints.

First, political interference. He says:" Politics have come to play a major role in all spheres of public life and police is no exception. Recruitment, promotions, transfers and all performance of duties are to a great extent influenced by the politicians. All police officers are compelled and most of them very reluctantly, to oblige the politicians in order to safeguard their positions. Therefore, on the one hand, while the public expect the Police officer to perform a fair duty, on the other hand, he is compelled to set his sense of justice and fairplay at naught due to political interference."

Secondly, the economic plight of police officers. "Most of the officers, especially rank and file, who are in constant contact with the public, find it difficult to make both ends meet with the salary they are paid. One look at their living conditions is sufficient to convince anyone, the reality of this economic constraint."

Thirdly, Police Attitude. "Most of the lower ranks in the police have no sense of the role of the policeman in the society and their responsibilities and objectives. Once they wore the uniform, they lose their common touch.

They become pompous and repressive and use their authority to harass the public rather than be of service to them. Complaints by members of the public against the police, alleging assault, abuse, incivility, bribery, corruption, partiality, apathy and other malicious acts are clear indicators of police attitudes towards the public"

Solution

What could be done to bridge this gap between the police and the public? Mr. Iddamalgoda lists few points. According to him, the most important factor is to select good personnel to the service. The recruit must be made a decent human being first and then a police officer. He must be taught Public Relations and strategies and means of tackling people. He must be helped to develop correct attitudes towards people and to uphold human dignity at all times. To this end, Mr. Iddamalgoda stresses that our training methods should be given a new dimension.

He adds: "The perennial cancer of political interference should be eradicated. Policemen should be able to serve the people without fear or favour".

"The public should be told more about the functions, duties and achievements of the police and about how they can help the Police. The public should be shown that it is in their own interest to support law and order."

"Greater personal contact of friendly nature between children and youth and the police should be developed. This could be achieved by organising boys clubs, school visits, organising sports and religious activities where police should project the image of the friendly policeman."

"Policemen must be paid a better salary, commensurate with the 24 hour job they perform. They also should be provided with better living conditions. There is no doubt that the domestic life of the policeman plays an important role in his attitude towards others".

Mr Iddamalgoda knows best. He had over 36 years experience as a police officer. He joined the service as an ASP and retired as a senior DIG.

As Mr. Iddamalgoda rightly says the Police Public Relations Branch should play a key role in explaining the work of the Force and maintaining good relations with the public. It should cultivate and develop public support by planning and co-coordinating police community relations activities aimed at all sectors of the community, including youths and children at schools.

Junior Police Call

For example, a Junior Police Call - a highly successful youth programme in Hong Kong could be one idea. Such a scheme could provide a wide range of healthy activities for our young people with a view to enhancing their civic responsibility.

Junior Police Call is a registered society, with its headquarters established in the Hong Kong Police and branches distributed in twenty Police districts The objectives of JPC are fourfold - to improve communication and mutual understanding between the Police and the youth.

- to foster a Police-youth partnership in the fight against crime; - to encourage youngsters to be aware of their responsibilities in the community; and - to provide facilities for a wide range of sports, activities and training in order to improve and enrich the lives of young people

Since 1975, JPC has striven to develop School Clubs in primary and secondary schools. Presently the number of School Clubs is 810. The formation of School Club is for the purpose of promoting civic responsibilities among students; educating students on crime prevention, road safety and other police related matters; and enabling a well orientated programme of activities to be introduced to students and fitted into the schools' extra curricula.

The JPC also produces TV and Radio Programmes and a Monthly Newsletter, organises Territory-wide Activities; and have close liaison with Branches, other Government Departments and Youth Organizations

Other Activities

Good Citizen Award and Good Citizen of the Year Award Schemes - can encourage members of the public to play a more active and positive part in the fight against crime and further promote their community awareness.

Television programmes can be produced in conjunction with Media Networks. Apart from appealing for witness and information, special features on prevalent crime trends, various facets of Police work and seasonal crime prevention advice should be included in these programes.

Information officers should continue to operate around the clock assisting the Force in disseminating timely information on crime, police action and activities to news organisations, both local and overseas. To further improve their service, higher-grade computers could be used to facilitate their work.

Total War

The war against crime is a total war, involving the whole of the society, and demanding for its successful conduct the best ideas in addition to the best equipment and skills. The penal system, including its function of prevention, punishment and reformation should become an important part of the study of social action as a whole. We must lay stress on the profoundly important changes, which have taken place in other countries during the past few decades in the scope and operations of criminals and in police organisation and methods.

Crime is a multi-faceted problem and many branches of knowledge are involved in it. Not only is there fragmentation of knowledge in this vast subject, there is also fragmentation of effort. Many of the public institutions and NGOs, which compose society's army in its war against crime act as independent bodies.

There is no coordinating Agency. This is a state of affairs, which calls for serious thought. A solution should be worked out as how to ensure that the different services and the results of the research in the connected branches of study can be kept in continuous touch with each other, in a way which will make possible unity of effort.

It is right that public should pay increasing attention to the human element in crime, but it is equally necessary that they should pay no less attention to the police and should equip them with all that is necessary for them to carry out their duties.

The most important of these necessities are the understanding of the problems and difficulties, which face the police, the conditions under which they work, and the kind of support, which will be most helpful to them.

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