Requisite for Police Reforms

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Reema Shaukat

US Professor of Civil Rights, Mary Frances Berry once quoted, “When you have police officers who abuse citizens, you erode public confidence in law enforcement.That makes the job of good police officers unsafe”.
This principle of submissiveness by police is appliedworld over. A police force is a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Their powers include the legitimized use of force. The term is most commonly associated with police services of a sovereign country that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. Police forces are often defined as being separate from military or other organizations involved in the defence of the state against foreign aggressors.
In Pakistan, there is a mixed perception about police force. Generally speaking common perception is that police force is inhumane and they do not take care of common people nor justice is provided to them if a common man seeks police help in police stations. With the wave of terrorism which hit Pakistan mercilessly, Police force equally suffered in terms of human losses, resources and infrastructure. Though in several incidents there was a contradiction that it’s the responsibility of Police to look after local populace at mosques, schools, courts, hospitals, airports and other public places but because of their inefficiency, military had to intervene and share the responsibility of safety and security of people with police. So apart from protecting territorial borders, armed forces are facilitating Police forces in their jobs too. The question arises is the police force weak enough that they can’t meet up their job requirements or it is denial of their rights somewhere in the system that they are not performing their jobs well?
History narrates that though Pakistan was created in 1947 but despite several years of its formation, the internal crises and differences which vary from ethnic clashes to political instability and development, policy makers and decision makers greatly ignored police reforms. Since the police services directly come under government domain so often high cadre and capable police officials which rose to an accomplished level, fail to bring needed reforms in their structure. Several political parties in their political manifestos prioritize about police reforms but when part of power they forget about the needs of police and other associated organs too. It is observed that Pakistan’s struggles to battleagainst crime and to counter terrorist activities are often overtaken by criminal networks and terrorist organization because of their novelty and sharpness of minds. Security challenges in Pakistan are further complicated with the presence of radicalized elements within political and religious circles. Hence,core efforts to build a stronger police force are noticeable but limited in scope. In this regard, it is observed that a rise in police salaries in some provinces is a positive step but surely not an all-rounder stride to improve police work. The quality of the curriculum in Pakistan’s police training schools is in need of serious improvement as the training courses do not properly cover the topics regarding interrogation, victimology and the treatment of susceptibleindividuals. Apart from lack in curriculum, thoughpolice forces havequality personnel but the law enforcement agencies lack technological resources to combat miscreants.In most cases, police equipment is either outdated or non-existent, while bureaucratic obstacles, intra-agency rivalries, and a lack of funding prevent the police from procuring the technology required to track downdefendants. The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), established in 2009, seemed to be a promising step in the direction of coordinating and integrating the national counterterrorism effort between the military and the police, but the organization failed to take off as a result of political squabbling. Though after 2014 APS attack major amendments were made and efforts were incorporated from all sectors to curb militancy yet the effectiveness is questioned.Sad situation is that antiterrorism laws have failed to give law enforcement agencies and civil law institutions the power to handle cases effectively. Therefore a need for military courts was felt as the single judicial system takes years and years to bring outcome.
To build better image of police it is important to have good public relations for their success too. This is especially relevant with regard to the treatment of women, children, and minorities. The average Pakistani citizen does not trust the police. In its capacity to public connexion, media can be an effective tool. Several advertisements, documentaries and other public service message can help in making better rapport. Apart from this corruption, bad evils or poor performances by police can be exposed by media.Particularly in combating terrorism, many police officials have laid their lives in the line of duty with full honour and commitment and such stories be highlighted. Earlier it was recommended that to check police corruption, the federal government should establish an independent police complaint authority under the leadership of a reputable retired Supreme Court/High Court judge in order to guarantee accountability at all levels of the force. But unfortunately it’s still pending.
Necessity in present police reforms requires that an improvement in working conditions and salaries and changes to organizational culture would help to create a force that is respected by the people and thus is more effective in maintaining security and stability. The success of the National Highways and Motorway Police is surely edifying in this regard.Strengthened cooperation between the military and police would better enable Pakistan’s civilian law enforcement bodies to take responsibility for internal security. Special training exchanges and the induction of soldiers into the police force at junior levels can benefit police readiness in field operations. A lot can be learn from reform models in Turkey and Indonesia and other country’s efforts to sprout police services. Police must be provided with the technology needed to combat criminals and terrorists and should have better tools through which they can access terrorists’ communications, mobile tracking systems, and telephone call data analysis. Investment in developing national databases on vehicles and weapons is long overdue and in this regarddepoliticization of the police itself should be encouraged through the increased involvement of civil society. The objective of police reform is largely achievable through implementation of Police Order 2002, with minor amendments, throughout the country, including the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan, the federal capital of Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In due course, the Order should be extended to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas as well so that the whole country is governed under a common set of rules. Therefore, to regain public trust on police and improvement in the rule of law,government needs to bring changes within the system and address improper influences.