Police have an uphill battle to restore their image.IT'S BEEN another bad week for the police force. On Tuesday, Paphos officers were caught on camera overstepping the line as they tried to remove protesters from a church in Chlorakas. One was seen pulling a protesting monk by the hair, while another arrested a citizen, who boasted he had a British passport British passports may be issued to people holding any of the various forms of British nationality. The British monarch does not have a passport as British passports are issued in the monarch's name[1]. , for showing disrespect to the Cyprus Republic. On Thursday, Politis reported how the police had mistreated a 15-year-old boy because he had failed to appear in court to give evidence against his jobless father in a dispute over land. The police were prevented from arresting him while he was at school by the headmistress head·mis·tress n. A woman who is the principal of a school, usually a private school. Noun 1. headmistress - a woman headmaster but when he was eventually taken to the station, he was made to undress, handcuffed and thrown in a cell. This lack of professionalism and unnecessary muscle-flexing is becoming worryingly frequent. The dawn raids Dawn Raid The action of a firm or investor buying a substantial amount of shares in a company (making it a target firm) first thing in the morning when the stock markets open. This is done by a stock broker acting on behalf of a company. to find illegal immigrants in old Nicosia a few weeks ago was another example of the heavy-handedness and bullying tactics. It is as if the force is regressing and turning the clock back to a time when abuse of power was the norm and policemen were accountable to no one. This could be a direct reaction to the events of the last 11 months during which the force became an object of ridicule after the escape double murderer Anonis Kitas and subsequent revelations about the incompetence displayed by senior officers. The police chief was forced to resign and several officers are facing charges for their part in the affair. There was also the acquittal The legal and formal certification of the innocence of a person who has been charged with a crime. Acquittals in fact take place when a jury finds a verdict of not guilty. of the 10 officers charged with beating up two youths, which sparked another public outcry against the force. It has not been a good year for the police but mindless displays of aggression are guaranteed not to improve their standing and inspire public confidence which has hit rock-bottom. A higher level of professionalism and greater discipline needs to be shown if the force is to regain society's confidence. It is up to the police leadership to impose this discipline and stop individual officers from acting in ways that tarnish tarnish, n 1. surface discoloration or loss of luster by metals. Under oral conditions, it often results from hard and soft deposits. 2. a chemical process by which a metal surface is discolored or its luster destroyed. the image of the entire force. The Police Chief appears to have identified the problem and has adopted a zero-tolerance policy Noun 1. zero-tolerance policy - any policy that allows no exception; "a zero-tolerance policy toward pedophile priests" policy - a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government; "they debated the policy or impolicy of the proposed legislation" towards undisciplined behaviour. The tolerance traditionally shown, whereby the worst that could have happened to a bad policeman was an unfavourable transfer, is no longer the case. Just eleven officers have been kicked out of the force in the last six years. Currently, seven officers have been suspended and are under investigation over a variety of offences. Tuesday's events in Chlorakas led the police command to mount an investigation into the actions of the police. On Thursday it was announced that another officer was suspended for playing cards playing cards, parts of a set or deck, used in playing various games of chance or skill. The origin of playing cards is unknown, and almost as many theories exist as there are historians of the subject. while on duty. Improving discipline is a very important step but it is not enough. The police command also needs to address the lack of professionalism that is a consequence of the widespread favouritism. In a survey conducted for the police in September, eight of 10 policemen said there was no meritocracy mer·i·toc·ra·cy n. pl. mer·i·toc·ra·cies 1. A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement. 2. a. . The absence of meritocracy breeds low professional standards, even though the blame for this cannot be shouldered by the police leadership. It is the interfering politicians, who arrange promotions for 'their' officers, who have made a mockery of meritocracy in the force. A few years ago, in one of the most monumentally stupid decisions taken by the Papadopoulos government, at the behest be·hest n. 1. An authoritative command. 2. An urgent request: I called the office at the behest of my assistant. of AKEL AKEL Anorthotikon Komma Ergazemenou Laou (Cyprus; Progressive Party of the Working People) and EDEK, some 500 policemen were promoted because they had supposedly resisted the 1974 coup; a further 200 were also promoted at a later time. They may have been incompetent, lazy, disinterested, poor leaders, but they were advanced -- a move that subsequently blocked the rise in the ranks of capable, young officers whose good work went unrewarded. The promotions turned the clock back for the police. All this is a great shame, because there are many hard-working, well-trained and committed young officers whose careers have been stunted by the political favouritism plaguing the force. The police chief may have recognised the critical importance of meritocracy to the development of a reliable and professional force, but he will have a hard job convincing the meddling med·dle intr.v. med·dled, med·dling, med·dles 1. To intrude into other people's affairs or business; interfere. See Synonyms at interfere. 2. To handle something idly or ignorantly; tamper. politicians about its value. But unless favouritism is rooted out, we cannot hope for a more professional and competent force. Copyright Cyprus Mail Cyprus Mail is a Cypriot English-language newspaper. It is published daily (except Mondays) and a number of articles are available online. Its current chief editor is Kosta Pavlowitch. The managing director is Kyriakos Iacovides. 2009 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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