Restoring trust in the force

On Tuesday, newly-appointed Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara delivered a poignant speech imploring the Police force of the country to win back the hearts and minds of the people, in times when public trust in the hallowed force is fast deteriorating.

The IGP did not attempt to make farcical excuses on behalf of the force, nor did he try to evade the fact that the collapse of the relationship between the peacekeepers and the citizenry was in any way the fault of outside parties. Instead, his heartfelt words were meant to spur the force to take active steps to change its public image – a concept that has been forgotten entirely by many of its officers over the years.

The IGP reminded the force that the post-war Sri Lankan public demands freedom from all oppressive fronts, clearly alluding to the fact that Policemen must make a change in how they treat citizens. He called for them to not lose their temper or take revenge from a people that demand a type of liberty that can only be delivered to them by a competent Police force.

Politeness, Obedience, Loyalty, Intelligence, Courtesy and Efficiency are the traits that define a Policeman. However, those five attributes have less to do with being a Policeman now than what a Policeman expects from the citizenry he or she is sworn to protect.

Incidents of Police brutality and inefficiency in the recent past has not helped repair the damage caused especially during the previous regime – a time when the Police force acted with a staggering level of impunity and violence.

Several episodes, including the Embilipitiya incident, have permanently hurt public confidence in the force that continues to fail to protect the weak and voiceless. Meanwhile, those from privileged and well-connected backgrounds have long enjoyed the benefits of bending the Police to their wills. Meanwhile, jokes concerning Police incompetence and corruption have become somewhat of a national pastime.

This is by no means a problem that is endemic to this country as Police brutality in developed countries like the US and especially in the South American region are topics of great concern. This year alone, more than 1,000 deaths at the hands of the US law enforcement forces have been recorded, causing minority backlash that has resembled urban warzones in some areas. While the situation in Sri Lanka is in no way comparable to the US, it is certainly a situation that needs to be avoided as people grow exasperated with the treatment dished out even by simple traffic Policemen.

It is easy to put the blame squarely on the few Policemen who abuse their powers, as has been done so many times in the past. However, we cannot ignore the toxic environment which allows them to act with such extreme and callous disregard for those they are entrusted to protect.

The IGP’s response to the severe criticism of the public is certainly a step in the right direction. These statements need to be complemented with stronger actions against excessive force and the periodic psychological assessments of Police officers. The allegations of internal cover ups and falsified testimony in cases of custodial deaths must also be addressed as restoring the integrity of the Police is as much an internal struggle as it is an external one. Most importantly, in order to mend the broken relationship between the citizen and the policeman, the force must be reminded of the fact that they are there to serve and not to rule.