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Police Force needs to keep above suspicion
2007-11-23 18:46:42
By Editor
President Jakaya Kikwete on Wednesday used the occasion of a graduation ceremony for police officers to speak the minds of millions of other Tanzanians with reservations about the way members of the Police Force have been performing their duties.
He congratulated the police on the efforts they have been making in striving to play their traditional role of protecting and serving the people, at times in very harsh conditions.
He also hinted on the strategic plans the Government had towards enabling the Police Force to have the facilities and skills it needs to cope with present-day needs and demands.
But the President was not so complimentary as to turn a blind eye to the fact that some of the problems facing the law-enforcement agency are within its control.
That was why he underscored the need for enhanced cooperation between the Police Force and the citizenry in making the concept of community policing work to plan and the need to weed out elements within the agency\'s ranks that give it a bad name and erode its integrity and efficiency.
Fortunately, both Public Safety and Security minister Harith Bakari Mwapachu and Inspector General of Police Said Mwema admitted that the problems the President was talking about indeed exist and hinder the police from operating smoothly and efficiently enough.
Acknowledging one\'s weaknesses or problems is positive thinking that can make things change for the better.
We thus hope President Kikwete\'s critique will jolt Minister Mwapachu, IGP Mwema and the men and women under their command into viewing it as a call to arms that will see them perform more professionally and productively.
Our security and law-enforcement agencies have been having it very rough at times trying to outwit and defeat experienced bloodthirsty criminals that are often armed to the teeth, well-funded and well-connected.
But the President has had a plausible response to this challenge from his very first days at the State House - and it is premised on equipping and training police personnel appropriately and laying added emphasis on the consolidation of relations between the Police Force and wananchi.
The role of the Police Force is a highly skilled one and calls for unqualified integrity and dedication. This is because the agency is there specifically to make a real difference by checking anti-social behaviour, disorder, crime and the fear of crime.
Society expects police officers to step up to the mark and act with maximum honesty and integrity. It also expects them to treat the people with dignity and understanding.
In short, society expects the police to spearhead the struggle to make local communities and the country as a whole a safer place to live in.
This Herculean task can be undertaken with success if the police find their work a worthy career offering wonderful challenges, excitement and opportunities for self-advancement.
But equally important are the people\'s full participation and ensuring that there are no criminal or other anti-social elements within the Police Force itself. It can be done if we fight as a team.
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