Seven steps towards police redemption
- From: pluto <pluto@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:49:30 +0800
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/43823
Seven steps towards police redemption
Adek
Nov 30, 05 3:35pm
NGOs have been decrying police abuse for years. These NGOs keep a tally of
prisoners who have died under mysterious circumstances, have heard the
painful stories of victims who are too terrified to make a report, because
who can they possibly report to?
And when is it that the rest of us pay attention? When it hits a little too
close to home. When a police officer shoots a young doctor in his car. When
they storm a popular up-scale nightclub and humiliate the children of
well-to-do families. When they mess with women who are lucky to have the
support of their family, their country or the courageous Ms Kok and the
press. When they blacken the eye of a high-profile ex-politician. Or when
it happens to us.
If politicians stopped to listen for a moment, they would hear how
widespread these abuses are. And no badge or lip service is going to change
it. What might change things, however, would be:
A firm and unanimous declaration of what is considered unacceptable police
action and what will happen to police officers who tarnish the image of the
institution. The punishment must be severe and public. No soft
wrist-smacking like transferring the culprits so they can carry out their
appalling behavior elsewhere. Policemen who get their kicks from making
prisoners strip or perform sexual and/or humiliating acts should be sacked
and barred from public service. They should also be prosecuted for abuse of
power and as we would prosecute anyone who kidnaped and sexually molested a
person.
Continued public condemnation of such behaviour by recognising it for what
it is - cruel abuse of power bordering on sadism. How many normal people
would treat another human being the way bad cops treat citizens and guests
of the country? How many of us would even think about taking someone
helpless, forcing her to strip naked and making her do ear squats? It's
sick. These people are dangerous and letting them go unpunished will only
encourage the police force to breed and attract such people.
To offer rewards to anyone in or out of the police force who is able to
provide hard evidence that will help in the removal of bad apples.
Investigations into public complaints carried out by a non-police unit. If
no one is losing his or her job, if there is no one being forced to answer
uncomfortable questions, if there are no cops in jail for corruption, the
unit is ineffective Investigations should include auditing of an
individual's assets, including those of his/her immediate family. We all
agree the pay of the average police officer is disgraceful. By the same
token, red flags should go up around any officer living way beyond those
means.
Psychological testing of police officers to screen for racist, sexist,
homophobic or sadistic predispositions. This is not a common practice,
here, I know, but reports of police behaviour makes it obvious that some of
them are capital 'D' dangerous. And they carry guns.
A proper government agency working for the welfare, concerns and rights of
foreign workers. With one million foreign workers, there's about one
foreign worker for every 20 Malaysians and that is a huge number of people
we depend on. This agency should include a reasonable number of lawyers,
interpreters and advocates and should have a number of offices around
Malaysia in order to be accessible to everyone.
This last one is imperative. Darn right Chinese citizens are not targeted.
Or, more correctly, not exclusively targetted. The targets are more often
Bangladeshis, Indonesians, Filipinos, prostitutes, transsexuals, poor
people or anyone perceived to be from those groups. No group must be left
vulnerable.
Finally, maybe cameras in police stations is not such a bad idea. In other
countries, it is routine to film arrests and interrogations to protect both
the prisoner from bad police and good police from unsubstantiated
complaints.
If it is, in fact, a small minority of police who are corrupt and
dishonorable, it is unfortunately up to the majority to admit the force's
reputation has been tarnished and to take measures, even uncomfortable
ones, to restore society?s faith in its protectors.
Police moving to prevent more exposés
04:42pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Police, country in denial
04:32pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Are we convinced on the need for a police state?
04:30pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Don?t allow police to go after video whistle-blower
04:25pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Police misbehaviour stretches way back to ?98
04:22pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Police need immediate revamp
03:49pm Tue Nov 29, 2005
Mammoth task to restore faith in police
04:26pm Mon Nov 28, 2005
Business as usual for police after commission report
03:54pm Tue Nov 15, 2005
Migrant workers at mercy of corrupt, cruel police
03:49pm Tue Nov 15, 2005
Why further study Police Commission?s findings?
03:34pm Thu Oct 27, 2005
Police drug test: Were there incentives?
03:32pm Thu Oct 27, 2005
Change government to counter police abuse
03:48pm Tue Oct 25, 2005
===============end quote/cross/w/wo/comment============
pluto
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