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Reforming the Police

That no less a personage than the Head of state has ordered a probe into complaints against police officers is a clear indication that there is something 'rotten in the state of Denmark'. According to our lead story yesterday President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the IGP to investigate 170 public complaints made against Police officers. This is against the backdrop of the Police assault in Malabe and the murders at Angulana. These are among the 1,380 complaints against Police officers referred to the IGP by the National Police Commission in it's 2008 report. The report says that the 170 complaints have been classified 'very serious' and they would be the first to be investigated.

As we have stated before in these columns the Police played a not inconsiderable role in the country's war against terrorism and the Department deserves all the kudos lavished on it by a grateful public when honouring the deeds of the Armed Forces. Thousands of Policemen sacrificed their lives during the three decades of war while trying to defend Police stations under attack or during the normal course of their duties.

We also mentioned that the Police along the way did acquire a military mindset and that although essentially a civilian force it was not always civil towards the general public. Incidents of Police brutality though prevalent even during the pre-war days reached a new high during the recent past as highlighted time and again in the media. The nadir of police behaviour was reached at Malabe and Angulana which nullified whatever sympathy the public had for the Police for it's role in the anti-terror campaign plunging it's reputation to new depths. The heroes of hardly two months ago are today reduced to zeros. It will be no exaggeration to say that IGP Jayantha Wickremaratne will have a Herculean task on his hands to regain the lost prestige of his Police Department following the recent events and it would take much more than hounding out errant officers to turn the tide.

The Police Department will need a complete shake up in this post war era to attune itself to the change and function essentially as a civilian force with close links to the public.

We will refrain from commenting further on the incidents as the matters are being adjudicated before court. But suffice it to say that the respect, regard, and awe for the Khaki Uniform has simply evaporated. The attack a few days later on a Police party by a group of residents in Borella while on a mission to apprehend a drug dealer was proof of this.

This no doubt is a dangerous trend which could descend to anarchy very soon with a wrathful public taking the law into it's own hands. Something had to be done urgently to reverse this negative public perception towards the Police.

While taking to task errant officers could be a first step in policing the Police, as mentioned, the Department needs to be transformed in outlook and mission. True, weeding out the black sheep within the Department who had brought calumny on the entire force could help dissipate some of the public anger. But the Police Department as a whole should reform itself if it is to win back lost public confidence.

Hence the President's decision to hound out the bad eggs from the Department should serve as a first step in overhauling the entire Police to bring it back to it's pristine days when the Police Department lived up to the highest ideals and code of ethics of a civilian law enforcement agency.

We are not aware whether these 170 officers on the mat are those holding high rank or the ordinary PCs and sergeants. But it is important that no top officer is shielded or spared. For, making an example of a high ranking officer would have it's reverberations down the line and make the rank and file fall in line. Today it is common knowledge that the lower ranked officers do the bidding of their bosses and the recent incidents is ample testimony to this. Now that the war is over steps should be taken to revert the Police Department to it's former role of a civilian law enforcement force. It cannot act with impunity any longer. According to the Police Commission report it had monitored over 3418 complaints against abuse of powers and 92 complaints of assault and 84 complaints against arbitrary arrest and detention, in 2008 alone. No wonder then some of the Police officers had acquired a sense of immunity as testified to by the statements attributed to the Angulana OIC.

The IGP should start his mission from scratch. He should prevail on his charges on the changed circumstances and need to act in terms of this change. He should also take steps to de-construct the negative image of the public towards his Department as a corrupt ridden institution as revealed in recent survey. For this there needs to be an effective supervisory mechanism to police and Police. There should be no room for political meddling in the functions of the Police and officers should be told in no uncertain terms to act and conduct themselves in keeping with the dignity of their Uniform. Police - Public relations too should be improved and taken to a new level in the post war era. It is the image of the Police that has taken a beating over the years. Building this image would be half the battle won.


 

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Edward Moor Kennedy was a leading figure in the United States Senate. He served as a US Senator since 1962 and served under 10 Presidents - from John F Kennedy to Barak Obama.

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Ven. Dr. Pategama Gnanarama Maha thera felicitated:

Founder of Buddhist and Pali College in Singapore

Sri Lanka Buddhist and Pali University conferred D. Litt (Houoris Causa) Degree on the Ven. Dr. Pategama Gnanarama Maha thera, principal, Buddhist and Pali College, Singapore and Viharadhipathi, Purvarama Viharaya, Purvarama Place, Colombo 12 at the annual convocation of the University held at the BMICH on August 22.

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