Armoured car and law enforcement

Ground reality and identity
Maintenance of internal order and ensuring security, which among other things includes prevention and detection of crime through intelligence, should always be a police function. In the discharging of such functions there have been some occasions in some particular places of the country where the police have used weapons that are predominantly military. It has been more of an exception than a rule and that too in some declared or earmarked places. Therefore, it is quite relevant to ask why has it been necessary for an elite unit of the police department to use a manifestly military transport throughout the country and with what outweighing benefits? This query assumes added significance at a time when it has been authoritatively claimed that due to RAB's operations serious crimes have registered a sharp decrease and veteran criminals are on the run.

A pertinent question in view of the above, relates to the real threat perception. What type of miscreants are the targets of the armoured cars? Understandably, mass protests or demonstrations are not to be scared into submission or inaction by fearsome display. So where is the threat of dangerously armed assembly of organised criminals that may destabilise our society? Speaking of the sub-continent it is only in Karachi that the police are using armoured vehicles because there the number of unauthorised 'Kalashnikovs' in criminal possession stands at a staggering one hundred thousand, not to speak of other deadly weapons and there are several no-go areas for the police in that city. Do we have a situation even faintly resembling that? If not then why purchase these heavy duty capital machinery at a high price? Into whose hearts the authorities would like to strike fear when the deadly adversary is not seen on ground? Can the police befriend the community or endear itself to the people by the display of the hardware? These are questions that need to be answered.

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Cost-benefit factor and image
Experts tell us that the collection of "intelligence in respect of crime and criminals" and "investigation of any offence" will not be boosted by the acquisition of armoured cars. However, earmarking large funds for obtaining secret information and modernising the forensic laboratory might serve some useful purpose in accomplishing the statutorily stipulated objective. For understandable reasons, the necessity of nabbing the terrorists and armed miscreants is a priority. For that we need credible and actionable intelligence which in turn depends largely on commitment of financial resources. We need pragmatic and judicial allocation of resources. We have to scientifically empower the police organisation in specifics of investigation. The absence of a desirable scientific mind encourages police officers to abuse their discretionary powers and to resort to irregular and illegal methods and practices. Unnecessary use of physical force and third degree methods for extracting confession of the accused are common complaints. While the law and regulation categorically forbids such practices, reality on ground tells an unpalatably different story.

Fixing the priority
Now may be the time when we must know why investigative efficiency of the police has deteriorated so sharply over the years and whether such efficiency can be regained in isolation without setting the expected organisational goal of the police. It may also be appropriate now to know the pattern of resource allocation for increasing the professional competence of investigative outfits. We may have to know if there is a lack of proper emphasis in fixing priorities and deciding the core functions of police in a pluralist society like ours. We have to appreciate that the cumulative neglect towards increasing the investigative efficiency over the last decade has brought us to a situation where we are uncomfortably witnessing external agencies dealing with matters on our soil in which we may at best seek expert opinion only. Purchasing lethal weapons may serve inadequately explained goals but investigation has to be scientific and level-headed to prove equal to the stress following an incident and credible enough to withstand the subsequent test of rigorous scrutiny in the court of law.

Focal point and service delivery
It serving the people is our avowed goal then we can no longer neglect the improvement of at least the physical condition of the police stations. A number of buildings housing the police stations of Dhaka Metropolitan area are in a pitiable state. There is no doubt that the police stations are the focal points of service delivery. The need for more resources at the police stations is obvious as we ask for courteous, prompt and professional service at this point. No responsible citizen will dispute the proper equipping of enforcement unit but we should be prudent to devote increased attention and allocate enhanced resources to what one may call 'mainstream policing'. Ad-hocism has reigned supreme for a painfully long time.

We have to be cognisant of the fact that the demand for police services of our rapidly growing society has increased at a faster rate then the growth and expansion of its service delivery capacity. There is a need to rationalise the importance of operational policing. To do that a structured approach to the future through a strategic plan should be a priority. The policing programmes should endeavour to provide that kind of service which can consistently meet the needs and expectations of different segments of the community within current and anticipated resource. The thrust of police planning should be to endear the organisation to the community by establishing an enduring partnership in the objective of reducing crime and maintaining order.

Elitism and excellence
In matters of law enforcement we have to decide whether we are unwittingly creating pockets of doubtful excellence in an ever-expanding environment of inefficiency and inactivity. We have to ascertain whether attainment of such excellence is hampering the securing of organisational goals. Additionally, we may have to examine if disproportionately larger resources are spent for attaining the excellence at the expense of equally important functional area at a time when funds for law enforcement are hard to come by. Simultaneously, we have to determine if elitism can achieve the desired goal in an expansionary from. Elite forces, by definition and experience, remain limited to very specific area and functions. It usually has a trim existence. We may have to find out if the additional perks and privileges of the elite outfit are a damper to other units who are entrusted with the performance of analogous functions. Last but not the least whether the increased militarisation of a civil enforcement unit will give rise to organisational imbalance is an aspect that needs serious examination by the policymakers. A rough and tough exterior only is not a panacea for law enforcement.

Muhammad Nurul Huda is former Inspector General of Police and Secretary to the Government.