Policing the police- a badge to hide behind

The current debate in Panama over who polices the police and how, has led a reader, a retired senior police officer, to present an insider’s viewpoint on policing bad cops.

By El Capitano

There are many reasons for the need to police the police but today I will look at  just two aspects. of them.

CRIMINALS

        In a normal society, the population is composed of 5% of hardened criminals, 5% of criminals in waiting and , 5% of  those who would-be criminals if given a chance.        

           Luckily the bulk of society (85%) is of normal or almost normal behaviour.

           When you are recruiting police candidates, unless you hire them from another planet, your police force will normally reflect your society and by consequence the same percentage of the portrait of society will become candidates.

           The numbers may vary by the quality of recruiting, the more selective you are, the smaller the percentage of the criminal element that  will make it in the system.

           But however stringent you are some will always get through and that is why an internal affairs division is a must, to correct the selection process, to prevent the would be criminal from becoming active and to eliminate the newly formed criminals who turned to crime as a result of personal problems including divorce, gambling, drinking, drugs, greed, etc.

           Many good men who are selected become get led astray by outside circumstances and end up in disgrace the unless they get help.

          What to say about the TOURIST COP? He is in the police for the job, the security, the pension, he will work very hard at doing nothing and wait for time to pass by so he can make it to his or her retirement. Well in my book he is a criminal, 25 years of robbing the public of good money without giving the service to which the public is entitled, something beyond serving like a bank clerk.

          In closing this chapter, an internal affairs division is a must even if it is simply a wall of fear, in the same manner as the citizen who does not do wrong for fear or being caught.

INJUSTICE

           A police officer is a human being in uniform; he has is bad days and good days, moods, frustrations and, in many cases lack of competence to render good judgements depending on his formation or intelligence.

          Yes he makes mistakes,  and the average citizen has no way of having the tools for correcting these mistakes and some of which can lead to deadly consequences like  the ruining of reputations, spending money on lawyers for false accusations, etc; or ultimately falsely imprisoned for poor or un-expedited police work. There are even multiple cases on record of innocent people being executed or jailed for life for killings they did not do,

Another form of injustice is the BEHING THE SHIELD SYNDROME. “I’m a cop. I can do anything I want. When I was a citizen I was scared of doing these things, but now I can and those who confront me beware. I can use my powers to hurt you or to help you,depending on how you treat me and look up to me.

         “ On top of that i am not alone, you touch me and the whole organization will be on your case even if I am wrong.”

          This sense of power is as dangerous as a criminal if there are no means to prevent it or to take care of it.

          So in conclusion, everybody needs a fear of reprisal when he does wrong; it is the beginning of wisdom.

           So an internal affairs division is a must, also a civilian overseer to make sure that the internal affairs department does its job, and a police chief who believes in giving the citizens what they pay for: Protection and Service.

The writer was in charge of internal investigations while teaching ethics and discipline at a respected police academey