Police reforms

The recently released report of the National Corruption Perception Survey 2021 conducted by Transparency International-Pakistan found that more than 40 percent of the participants thought that police was the most corrupt sector in Pakistan (the judiciary was ranked second).

These findings have not come as a shock as the police department does not enjoy people’s trust and confidence in our society. Many believe that the results would have been even more stark had the anticorruption watchdog included more people in the survey.

The police have never been close to the people at the grassroots level, and their role in society has not been much different from what it used to be in the pre-Partition colonial era. This behaviour might have been acceptable then as the police department had a different set of responsibilities. The police had to ensure two main things: the collection of state revenues and to thwart any potential rebellion against the British Raj.

However, things have changed now, and the police are no longer subordinate to the British imperial authority. They have to ensure the security of people’s life and property as well as maintain peace and order in society. However, they have failed to deliver on their responsibilities.

But expecting the police to live up to our expectations without analysing the situation is not wise. It is quite essential to analyse the root causes that are plaguing this department. Such a step can help redress the situation.

There is no denying that political intervention has reduced the efficiency of the department. Politicians try to control the police force in almost all of its functioning. There have been a few cases where, following a crime, the perpetrators have rushed to the region’s influential person – say a landlord – to get him/her to protect them. These powerful people use their resources and influence to ensure that the accused remained free.

Almost every influential person has the same modus operandi. First, these powerful people try to contact the family that has been wronged, forbid them from taking the issue to the criminal justice system and convince them to opt for out-of-court settlements. When they are unable to do so, they exert their influence on the police. They use their connections to direct nearby police stations to not take the complaint. This is why for an ordinary citizen, getting an FIR lodged is almost near impossible. However, in some cases, it has been observed that complainants can get successful if they ‘warm the pockets’ of the staff.

This ‘accusation’ can be denied at the official level. But this is a bitter truth. And anyone who has lived through this or seen other people go through this can confirm this. Also, many people have shared that whenever there is a complaint against someone in a village, the police contact the area’s influential landlord first and take action after they get his/her ‘permission’. Otherwise, they usually return without apprehending the accused.

This issue can only be resolved if the police are allowed to function without any interference. However, this seems impossible at the moment. Many powerful people including politicians are too eager to be all-powerful and take pride in the fact that they are ‘controlling’ some police officers.

Budget allocation is another issue. The police receive a meagre amount of money. As they have scant resources, it becomes difficult for them to carry out investigations or conduct raids and regular patrols to curb criminal activities. This has a negative effect on their efficiency.

Another thing that reduces police efficiency is the fact that the police department lacks access to technology. Poor technology is one of the reasons why it works unsatisfactorily. The use of CCTV cameras to carry out surveillance is an essential characteristic of policing all over the world. But our system lacks such equipment due to various reasons which include mismanagement, poor governance and insufficient resources.

Meagre salaries of low-rank officers is also another reason for their poor performance. These officers get so little as salaries that it is hard for them to meet their family expenses. Unlike the military, the police don’t have access to better healthcare or separate schools. With their meagre salaries, they cannot get better healthcare or send their children to prestigious educational institutions. Thus, they lack the motivation to perform their duties with a sense of dedication.

The police sector will continue to function in the same manner as it is doing now unless the core issues are resolved. There is a need to put an end to political interference in the department and to raise the budget of the police force so that police personnel can get decent salaries. There is also a growing need to equip the department with sophisticated tech gadgets such as CCTV cameras to increase its efficiency. There should also be a proper monitoring system to keep a check on the performance of the police.

The writer is a freelance contributor. He can be reached at:sjatoi831@gmail.com