Editorial | Why are the police indiscipline forces?

 

Over the past years, It has become customary of the police to insult, harass and above all to act indecent against civilians in the country.

Few days ago, I was at a public institution in a nearby restaurant. I saw security officers from the Gambia Police Force (GPF) having a seminar. They gathered in droves, including the IGP and the top rank-and-files of the police force.

At my vantage point, I heard one officer yelling to a waiter, telling him why he is frequently passing without serving him food. The officer was not properly seated in the right place where food was served. An old adage says, a starving man will forgo his self-interest only to get food.

Another officer came into the restaurant, and rudely asked for milk. Then another one also bumped in with an incongruent tone of emotion, telling waiters to quickly serve the IG without any delay. 

The modus operandi of the police towards civilians, bring to my recollection the police brutality under the ruthless hands of the exiled former President Yahya Jammeh.

Over the past years, the relationship between the security officers, and civilians has been strife. The ‘sembocratic’ nature of their approaches has sparked a series of counter discursive strategies calling for proper reforming of the Armed Forces. All these concerted efforts still remain unanswered at the borders of inquiry.

During the transition period, the introduction of the security sector reform process was welcomed news across the political sandy bank of the country. 

Overlooking the different opinions on the actualization of the reform process, some comments are unreasonable to fudge responses. It shows how emotions vanquish sensibility. 

As the debate and aversions seep into the reforming of the GPF, you can also see how partisanship blunts our feelings. Police must be disciplined forces, and harmonize their relationship with civilians to be able to develop as a nation.