Career Oriented Police Personnel Can De-institutionalise Police Brutality

By Gilbert Waghuaio Hamambi in Sharp Talk (Files)

February 19, 2012

Reported incidents of citizens becoming victims of alleged police brutality have been on the rise in Papua New Guinea as citizens become more aware of our rights. The sad and tragic irony of this is when citizens end up dead in the custody of the very government institution that is task with the duty to PROTECT LIVES. In their lifetime some families may be lucky to pass through life without having to experience such tragic losses at the hands of the police. Most of us are probably waiting our turn by ‘expecting the worst and hoping for the best’. Given the current rising trend and in our self-consciousness, the chances of the worst happening to people we may know increases everyday as we hear more about police brutality. Coupled with the observed snail’s pase process of identifying and bringing their own members to justice, who perpetrate brutality in the force, it now seems that police brutality is well and truly entranced and institutionalised in the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC).

It must be frustrating for the Government and in particular the RPNGC’s hierarchy who have been talking tough on ill-discipline. Worst still it must be excruciatingly disheartening and demoralising for those very well discipline officers in the rank and file of the RPNGC who are committed, who comply and strive to uphold a fast diminishing disciplined outlook of the RPNGC…or what’s left of it. The public’s current general perception of our RPNGC’s constables can be akin to that of politicians and other public servants; corrupt, slack and not mission oriented. While victims of police brutality and the public may be non-sympathetic to neither the perpetrator(s) of police brutality, who have so far been identified to face the courts, nor the perceived struggles of the RPNGC’s hierarchy in maintaining discipline, we all agree that ill-discipline in the rank and file and police brutality must stop!

As one of the suggestions in the attempts to eradicate ill-discipline and police brutality I am thinking that 'Career Oriented Police Personnel Can De-institutionalise Police Brutality by the RPNGC’.

It is an honourable profession of those in the service of our armed forces, who have accepted the risk of dying on the job and have sworn an oath. The public’s concern, however, is how can the servicemen and women of the RPNGC be disciplined enough to know when to apply ‘reasonable force’ in situations that do not threaten their own lives in their line of duty? One long-term solution going forward is to rethink the whole police personnel recruitment process and strategically and stringently recruit only career minded police personnel for Police College training. Focus should now be shifted more toward reinforcing and nurturing discipline and less on instilling discipline.

For far too long now the constabulary has been treated as a second option profession by citizens as it catches those who fall out of the formal education system. The RPNGC is a professional government institution and should not be allowed to be continually viewed as a ‘last resort’ option by our citizens. New recruits applying should not be enticed to the police force for the opportunity to earn some easy money to make ends meet but rather fulfil an ambition of becoming a dedicated and professional career police officer. I do not doubt the dedication and commitment of the many constables who are already in the police force and working under trying times.But emphasis should now shift to strategically weeding out the ‘rogue cops’ perception in the long run by identifying the right constables at an early age, and providing an environment that nourishes and nurtures the growth of discipline.

These could be achieved by making available the professional constable career path as part of the normal yearly grade 12 school leaver options and providing an in-house mentoring program.

The entry requirements for grade 12 school leavers should be raised to ensure that those selected will be malleable, easily coachable and more disciplined in the execution of their duties in enforcing the law by following the fine traditions of professional policing by the RPNGC. Career path progressions onto the other more attractive professions such as lawyers, accountants and etc. after police training should be clearly mapped out by the Police College curriculum development and the college’s role should be ‘aggressively’ promoted and advertised to continually attract interested but dedicated citizens who understood well and will be committed to that vision and mission of the constabulary of 'PROTECTING LIVES'. Of course not every grade 12 school leaver is expected to choose this option but at least the public can take comfort in knowing that those who do so will be better disciplined, more committed and respect the role of policing and the part it plays in nation building. The RPNGC’s manning requirement will not be met immediately if few choose this path but recruitment of small high quality number of intakes on a yearly basis will gradually build up the manning level of the force.

In their initial postings their immediate supervisors may not necessarily and currently possess the ideals of a professional constable and this challenge of new ‘fresh face’ recruits succumbing to the existing prevalent ‘ill disciplined’ norms already in the force could be overcome by assigning them to pre-identified and known ‘well disciplined’ personnel already in the rank and file to act as immediate mentors.

Over time it is hoped that such approaches as these will enhance the RPNGC’s reputation as a better disciplined force and one the public will feel more deserving to cooperatively work with.

De-institutionalising police brutality and mitigating the loss and suffering it is bringing on its victims and their immediate families and friends and the related consequential costs to the nation starts with the ‘right minded’ police recruits. Furthermore, provide a career pathway that proactively enhances and reinforces discipline earlier on in a professional constable’s career. It cannot happen overnight but it can happen in our lifetime, if our government dedicates and commits resources to reviewing our police recruiting procedures and training curriculum, as well as strategically recruit and nurture discipline of our future professional constables.

It is time we start practically thinking long term, starting small but acting now to minimise ill-discipline and eradicate police brutality in our RPNGC.