IN a modern civilised society it is the prime responsibility of the sta- te to protect the life, li- berty and honour of its people and dispense justice in an efficient and impartial manner.

The police service occupies a pivotal position among institutions of the state engaged in the discharge of this essential function.

The police force, however, is not expected to be a mere tool in the hands of the state to be used arbitrarily. While maintaining order in society it has to work with people, through people and for people. A police service bereft of community support is unlikely to achieve the desired goals.

Traditionally, the police in our society have been seen as an arm of the state and police-public relations have been marred by distrust and scepticism. This is not how it was supposed to be, for a close police-public participation was envisioned in the Police Rules when they were enacted in 1934. At the outset it was clearly stated that criminal law and the police organisation were both founded on the principle that public order depended essentially on the responsibility of every member of the community to prevent offences and to arrest offenders while remaining within the law. The magisterial and police set-ups were to enforce, control and assist this general responsibility.

However, relations between the police and the community have remained far from ideal. The police have not made much headway in gaining the trust of the general public. The distance between the police and the public has widened with the passage of time. This has happened despite the fact that a large number of policemen have lost their lives in the call of duty and others continue to work under terrible conditions for long and unpredictable hours for low wages.

Various reasons have been cited to explain the deterioration in police-public relations but one of the most important factors is the inability of the police to establish its impartiality. The framers of the Police Rules had set a perfect model to be followed. It was categorically declared that the ideal to be aimed at in respect of relations with the public was that every police officer, of whatever rank, should be regarded by every law-abiding person as a wise and impartial friend and a protector against injury to his person and property.

How can this be achieved if the police are seen as an instrument used by successive governments to crack down on the public for reasons that may or may not be justified? It is high time that the relationship between the government and the police, and between the community and the police, is redefined.For most citizens, the only interaction they have with the police is either as offenders when they come in conflict with the law or alternatively as victims of crime. The police`s role in society is not confined to enforcing the law; they are expected to provide relief in a variety of distressing situations. A police force engaged in service-oriented activities besides law enforcement is bound to be respected by the community as a whole.

The Police Order 2002 unequivocally laid down that it is the duty of a police officer to afford relief to people in situations of distress, particularly in respect of women and children; provide assistance to victims of road accidents; supply accident victims and their heirs or dependants with information and documents that would facilitate their compensation claims; and raise awareness among victims of road accidents of their rights and privileges. One example of the police department`s service-oriented activities is assistance through rescue centres like Madadgar 15. In areas where these rescue centres are better organised and efficient, police-community relations have improved considerably.

What can also go a long way in bridging the gap between the police and the community is the attitude of police officers. The Police Order makes it imperative that police officers interact with the public with due decorum and courtesy, promote amity, help individuals who are in danger of physical harm and assist all members of the public, particularly the poor, disabled or physically weak and children who are either lost or find themselves helpless on the streets or other public places.

However, it will require a great deal of work to walk the talk and take effectual practical steps to realise the avowed objectives of the Police Order 2002. The time has come to implement the people-friendly provisions of the Police Order and bring the police and the community closer.

Various factors have contributed towards widening the gap between the police and the community. These include the colonial legacy of the police as a force deployed against the public and not for the public; its oppressive use against the people for political reasons in the garb of maintaining public order; the bureaucratic way of working of police officers at the senior level and unfriendly attitudes prevalent in junior ranks; incompetence and corrupt practices; and slackness in adopting modern practices of community policing.

Community policing is the best way to bridge the gap between the police and the public. This is not just theory, for experiments have been successful in some crime-infested neighbourhoods of Karachi like Ferozabad and Bahadurabad. In these areas, citizens have pooled resources like patrol cars and manpower and have joined hands with the area police in prevention of crime. These neighbourhood watch programmes have not only significantly reduced crime in the selected areas but a bond of trust has developed between police officers and citizens. The downside of this model is that the police-community partnership is confined to certain affluent blocks of these areas. It has to be extended to less privileged neighbourhoods.

The idea of involving citizens` bodies in policing activities in not new. Mohalla committees, peace committees and even an organised body like the CPLC in Karachi have been functioning from time to time though with limited roles. The Police Order 2002 gives a formal role to citizens` bodies in the shape of district public safety commissions, provincial public safety commissions and a National Public Safety Commission. It is a pity that public safety commissions could not play their due role as envisaged in the Police Order due to petty politics.

No police service can succeed in the prevention and detection of crime and maintenance of law and order without substantial support from the community. Investment in human resources and modern policing equipment in complete isolation from the community will be an exercise in futility and a sheer waste of money.

A police service accountable to the community and working in tandem with the people to be policed can do wonders even with meagre resources. The people expect the new government and the police leadership to deliver in this vital area.

The writer is a senior superintendent of police in Sindh.