Opinion / Columnist
Police officers should heed Minister Chombo's advice
12 Jul 2016 at 15:39hrs | Views
There has been hullabaloo and different public perceptions in the media about the way police officers try to handle and arrest public disorder especially with reference to the just ended protests.
Police officers are held to a higher standard of behavior by society, because they are stewards of the public trust. Just like most public officials, police officers take an oath of office and they are expected to comply with professional codes of ethics, and they are subject to various laws, rules, and regulations.
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Ignatius Chombo emphasized that the police should desist from harassing members of the public as this creates unnecessary tension between the two parties. Police officers should just act professionally to avoid public chaos.
There must be an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect between the police and the people they serve. There should not be friction between police officers and the public. This is because police officers represent the law enforcement profession as well as government. They are also the personifications of the law. This means that their conduct should be beyond reproach both off and on duty.
Harassing and brutalizing people is not always the best way to solve public issues and maintaining of public order. Complaints by citizens about police behavior, particularly the excessive use of force, are part of the bigger problem of relations between the police and the public.
Police officers should be advised to do their thorough investigations first before extremely beating up people. I believe after investigations the offenders should be taken before the courts for ruling.
However, in cases where disagreements cannot be avoided, minimum force can be employed by these law enforcement officers as an effort of resolving conflicts. It is essential for the police officers to use the appropriate use of force in effecting arrests.
On the other hand, citizens should abide by the law in order to avoid such incidents. Lawlessness is not tolerated at all. To avoid being beaten by the law enforcement agents, citizens should respect the rule of law. Honestly, how can normal people burn tyres and block roads? Why does one have to interfere with other people's rights? Everyone has a right to movement; hence acts of blocking roads by hooligans should be a thing of the past.
Also, acts of violence by citizens are a form of misconduct which I believe police officers should deal with without fail. Why should one incite other people to engage in social unrest? All those criminal elements behind social unrest should be apprehended and leave peace loving Zimbabweans enjoying their peace.
Police officers are held to a higher standard of behavior by society, because they are stewards of the public trust. Just like most public officials, police officers take an oath of office and they are expected to comply with professional codes of ethics, and they are subject to various laws, rules, and regulations.
Home Affairs Minister, Dr Ignatius Chombo emphasized that the police should desist from harassing members of the public as this creates unnecessary tension between the two parties. Police officers should just act professionally to avoid public chaos.
There must be an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect between the police and the people they serve. There should not be friction between police officers and the public. This is because police officers represent the law enforcement profession as well as government. They are also the personifications of the law. This means that their conduct should be beyond reproach both off and on duty.
Police officers should be advised to do their thorough investigations first before extremely beating up people. I believe after investigations the offenders should be taken before the courts for ruling.
However, in cases where disagreements cannot be avoided, minimum force can be employed by these law enforcement officers as an effort of resolving conflicts. It is essential for the police officers to use the appropriate use of force in effecting arrests.
On the other hand, citizens should abide by the law in order to avoid such incidents. Lawlessness is not tolerated at all. To avoid being beaten by the law enforcement agents, citizens should respect the rule of law. Honestly, how can normal people burn tyres and block roads? Why does one have to interfere with other people's rights? Everyone has a right to movement; hence acts of blocking roads by hooligans should be a thing of the past.
Also, acts of violence by citizens are a form of misconduct which I believe police officers should deal with without fail. Why should one incite other people to engage in social unrest? All those criminal elements behind social unrest should be apprehended and leave peace loving Zimbabweans enjoying their peace.
Source - Sibusiso Ndlamini
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