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The Police-public trust, respect deficit

27 Sep 2022

The fragile relationship between the Police and the general public has been a topic of discussion for decades. Unfortunately, especially in light of the recent events surrounding the “aragalaya” (struggle) movement, this relationship has further weakened, and now, there is no sign of public trust or confidence in the Police.  According to Minister of Justice and Prisons Affairs Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe PC, we are living in a time where changing the attitudes of the general public concerning the Police, and thereby creating trust between the two parties, is crucial, as it can make it easier to obtain accurate information about criminals. In this process, he has acknowledged, it is also crucial that the Police act in a manner that protects the people's fundamental rights. Even though the Minister's concerns are valid and timely due to the aforementioned status quo of the relationship between the two parties, he merely stated the obvious – i.e. despite the fact that the Police are the main law enforcement authority that directly and frequently deals with the general public, there is a massive gap between the two parties. Instead of acknowledging the situation, conducting an honest assessment on how this gap developed to its present seemingly irreparable state, and understanding what needs to be done to rectify it, is what is expected of the Government. It is based on trust and mutual respect that the relationship between the Police and the general public exists. Unfortunately, both these two factors are almost non-existent in this relationship. The general public has serious trust issues when it comes to the Police’s impartiality, lawfulness, and professionality, and these trust issues are a result of decades of the misuse of the law, corruption, and the lack of professionality on the part of the Police. The aspect of mutual respect is perhaps more damaged than the public’s trust in the Police. The relationship between the Police and the general public is such that the people are expected to respect and obey the Police almost unconditionally, and the conduct of a considerable segment of the Police force suggests that the general public’s right to be respected and be treated fairly by the Police is not a concept that a lot of officers have heard of. The simple fact that unless respect is given, it will not be reciprocated, has also been forgotten. It is these factors that have damaged the public-Police relationship, and it is the same factors that continue to damage it. When looking at the past two decades, there have not been successful efforts or constructive dialogues by successive Governments or by the higher levels of the law enforcement authority to address these issues. Even though there were isolated discourses pertaining to how the Police should address the general public when performing their duties, overall, the country has not gone beyond merely acknowledging the situation.  In this context, the type of change that the Minister expects should be initiated by re-establishing the trust and confidence in the Police which has been reduced for decades. While national-level efforts such as freeing the Police from influential parties such as politicians are necessary, the change that the country needs could even start with simple acts such as ensuring that the Police give the general public the due respect and guaranteeing humane treatment in detention and in public. Unless and until this damaged relationship is repaired, the Police are less likely to obtain the public’s support to curb crimes.  


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