A police of the people

With the beginning of Police Week 2020 yesterday, now is a good time for our law enforcers to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses and take this as an opportunity to improve and provide the best of services to the people of this country.

As Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said at the inaugural ceremony on Sunday, it is imperative that police personnel become the “police of the people,” and that maintaining law and order becomes much simpler and easier once law enforcement agencies have the people’s confidence and trust.

We cannot help but agree with the PM -- it is indeed a duty of the police force to ensure that public trust rests on their shoulders.

The police are, of course, the first point of contact for civilians when in times of trouble or need, and if the police fail to provide even a modicum of safety for the people in this regard, it would be a failure of the highest order.

In fact, as it currently stands, the police are all too often seen with suspicion or fear, with incidents of harassment, corruption, extortion, and evidence-planting often making the news.

This current, somewhat hostile, relationship between the police and the public must come to an end, with the police keeping in mind that, at the end of the day, they are public servants and that their duty, first and foremost, lies in ensuring that we, the public, feel safe in their hands.

It is encouraging to hear that the government’s directives are in line with that of the public, and that it is providing the police with the appropriate training and equipment required to ensure that they continue to provide better service to the people.

It is only through mutual cooperation between the public and the police that we can create a safe and peaceful environment in our nation.