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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Jun 2010 : 22:55:42
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Foroyaa Editorial : IS COMMUNTITY POLICING WORKING?
By Publisher
02-06-10
If one walks towards many police stations one finds the word Community Policing written on the fence. This gives the impression that the members of the disciplined force have been trained to be examples in self restraint, fairness and peace making in the community. A driver was furious when he came to the Foroyaa office to lodge a complaint against the officer. He said that the officer joined his transport to move from Bakoteh to the garage at Bambo in SerreKunda. He took 6 dalasis from the sum given by the Police Officer as fare. The police officer is said to have insisted that the fare was 5 dalasis. An argument is said to have ensued. The police officer is reported to have left his change behind. The driver reported that he left the Change with the manager of their garage and picked up passengers when it was his turn to go. He expressed his surprise that the police officer did return to arrest him.
He was taken to the SerreKunda police station and detained. His fellow drivers went to the police station to explain that the change of the officer is with the Manager of the garage and that the dispute was about fares. They gathered that the police officer had accused the driver of theft.
The officers at the station were said to have advised the officer concerned that the fare to Bakoteh is now six dalasis and that there was no reason to detain the driver.Foroyaa came to discover that the police officer was not even attached to the Serekunda Police station. Foroyaa told the driver that the police officer could be accused of abuse of office and if the matter is taken to its logical conclusion he could be reprimanded at the expense of his family. The need was seen for the matter to be settled through apology.
Needless to say, detaining an innocent person has cost in terms of earnings and integrity. This is why community policing should be given real meaning by transforming police officers into role models who will show the people what respect for the law means. Community policing should prepare the police officer to be a peace officer who promotes understanding in the community and facilitate the peaceful resolution of disputes rather than engineering or fanning controversies.
We hope the driver understands that in handling this matter in the way it did foroyaa is trying to separate blatant violation of rights by subjecting a fellow citizen to torture and degrading punishment to make him or her own up to a crime one has not committed and senseless abuse of power to ease one’s personal frustrations due to poverty. Nonetheless abuse of office is inexcusable. Justice however should always be tempered with mercy.
Source: Foroyaa Online
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2010 : 11:07:38
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This incident is unfortunate,the last paragraph of the article explains everything,HOWEVER,I consider it rather unlikly that "The driver reported that he left the Change with the manager of their garage" Until police officers in The Gambia are paid a good wage they will sometimes resort to conduct that is unbecoming to their profession,education and good pay together with a revamped selection process for police officers are the key,it is not possible for "The Police" to carry out their duties without the consent and trust of "The Community"
Brief definition and history of policing
The definition of policing
The word "Police" means, generally, the arrangements made in all civilised countries to ensure that the inhabitants keep the peace and obey the law. The word also denotes the force of peace officers (or police) employed for this purpose.
In 1829 Sir Richard Mayne wrote:
"The primary object of an efficient police is the prevention of crime: the next that of detection and punishment of offenders if crime is committed. To these ends all the efforts of police must be directed. The protection of life and property, the preservation of public tranquillity, and the absence of crime, will alone prove whether those efforts have been successful and whether the objects for which the police were appointed have been attained."
In attaining these objects, much depends on the approval and co-operation of the public, and these have always been determined by the degree of esteem and respect in which the police are held. One of the key principles of modern policing in Britain is that the police seek to work with the community and as part of the community.
These words are as true today as the day they were written so long ago.
In the unlikely event that anybody is interested I obtained this snippet from here.
http://www.met.police.uk/history/definition.htm
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 03 Jun 2010 11:09:14 |
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