The Obstacles Against Humane Policing
Context:
This article is all about police brutality in India and around the world. It also talks about ways to curtail these barbaric acts and reform human policing.
Points to Ponder:
- The latest case of police brutality in Ambasamudram, Tamil Nadu, is a serious violation of human rights that must be addressed. The officer’s employment has been suspended, and an investigation into his claimed misconduct is ongoing. This should convey a clear message to the state’s police force that it is forbidden to physically harm criminal suspects, and that any such behavior will be investigated thoroughly and credibly by a separate authority.
- Most often, police brutality occurs when the force is pressured by parties in power to solve a problem or a crime in a hurry, obviating the need for a more thorough and scientific inquiry. This is done to win over the people to the idea of “swift justice.”
- The article also talks about police torture all over the world. Police racial profiling and related brutal killings have a long past in the US. Racial profiling has been a problem in the US ever since enslavement was abolished. It is bad when the general public engages in it, but it gets worse when the police, who are meant to serve and protect, become involved in it.
- The deaths of George Floyd and Rodney King, as well as other instances of police brutality, have all been documented on video and have sparked widespread outrage in the US.
- In most of Europe, including the UK, police interactions with people are more polite than in the US.
- The piece makes the case that public employee corruption has increased police brutality and that a lack of public outrage against corruption is a contributing factor to the issue.
- The article contends that even though the Indian Police Service (IPS) has incorporated science and technology into policing, more needs to be done to disseminate the idea that technology and ethics should coexist.
- According to the piece, India’s political elite and police hierarchy have given in to the allure of violating human rights, which has resulted in instances of police brutality similar to those in Tamil Nadu.
- The paper contends that while ethics training is crucial, it is insufficient to stop police brutality and that police leadership plays a critical role in indoctrinating recruits about the importance of abiding by the law and exhibiting civil behavior.
- Many in the political and police leadership subscribe to the philosophy that physical force is necessary to improve the quality of policing and maintain law and order.
- Solid training in ethics at the time of induction could help smooth the rough edges of a recruit, but this must be reinforced by strong leadership at the highest levels.
- Ultimately, the responsibility for creating a principled police force lies with the DGPs and IGPs, who must lead by example and emphasize the value of sticking to the law and civilized behavior.
