Criticism of Role of Police in Preventing Crime

Introduction
Police are the key participant of maintaining a safe and secured society by providing their service
to the common people around the country. It is because of their relentless work that the general
people in the society can lead a hassle free and secured life because they play a very massive role
in preventing crime in the society and thus maintain the state security. To prevent crime both
proactive and reactive strategy they take. They have to rescue victim, investigate crime scene,
apprehend suspects, make further investigation, and make charge sheet or final report. They
have to fight with criminals and face with modern criminality. Without any doubt it could be said
that, police have a lot of responsibility to establish a peaceful and secure society. But in spite of
their tremendous contribution in Bangladesh there are many loopholes in police organization
which works as a barrier for the police force to do justice to their profession.

Concept of Police
Police are agents or agencies empowered to use force and other forms of coercion and legal
means to effect public and social order. The word police come from the Latin politia (“civil
administration”). In criminology discussions about police and their functions are significant as it
is the primary duty of the police department to prevent crime, arrest criminals and handle them
before the conclusion of trial. https://www.assignmentpoint.com/arts/political-science/need-
police-reforms-banglade

“Police” in this sense is much broader and is used to mean a whole system of governing a society
by economic, social, political and cultural policy. The police in our contemporary sense are seen
as a small part of the whole of domestic government and an important agency of criminal justice
system.

Bangladesh Police
The Bangladesh Police is a national organization with headquarters based in Dhaka and a number
of branches and units, including a special branch, a criminal investigation department (CID), an
armed police battalion, training institutions, and range and metropolitan police (including railway
police). The range and metropolitan police are structured into districts, circles, police stations
(Thanas) and outposts. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) is the highest ranking officer. The
IGP is not independent and can be transferred and removed by the Government any time. At the
district level, the police superintendents oversee the field operations of the police force and liaise
with the deputy commissioner. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) controls police
administration, and appointments and transfers of all police officers above the rank of
superintendent. In charge of each Thana is an inspector who coordinates all kinds of work in the
Thana area.
file:///C:/Users/LABLU/Downloads/Bangladesh_police_organogram_branch_hist.pdf The
Bangladesh Police is mainly governed by the Police Act (1861), the Code of Criminal Procedure
(1898), the Police Regulation, Bengal (1943), the Armed Police Battalions Ordinance (1979) and
relevant Metropolitan Police Acts.

Criticism of the role of Police

Though Police plays a very important role in society by preventing crime and maintaining peace
and security but in spite of that they face some criticisms regarding their work:

 Corruption
Corruption is very prevalent and has become very general among the police force. A lot of police
officers are engaged with corruption. They take advantage of their position and indulge
themselves in many corrupted activities in spite of their duty to prevent these offences.

 Political Influence
Bangladesh Police is criticized of having political influence in all levels. In many cases the police
force do their duty in accordance with the direction of political parties and thus sometimes do
injustice to other people who come to them with the hope that they will ensure their access to
justice. Government uses the police as a branch of its political organization and suppresses often
the rightful activities of opposition political parties. Extensive political use of police force hinders
the development of professionalism, as a result less qualified and dishonest police officers are
placed in important positions, and the people remain deprived of the service of honest and
sincere police officers. Because of excessive political use, police has no chain of command.

 Bribery
The police officers are often seen taking bribes from general people for either doing their
prescribed duty or for something which they are not supposed to do. They threaten the general
people and take money from them for doing their job which has become a very common
phenomena and tarnishing the reputation of the police force.

 Misuse of power
A lot of police officers misuse their powers and ill-treats people. Custody deaths and torture is
very prevalent among the law enforcement sector. By misusing their power and position they do
a lot of illegal activities and cover them up with the power of their position.

 Lack of Accountability
Police organization of Bangladesh suffers from insufficient accountability, both internal and
external. Internal accountability can enhance competence, and prevent corruption, whereas
external accountability can ensure people-oriented service. Law prescribes the mode and
manner how the police officers will dispose of their duties, but there is insufficient departmental
mechanism, and no neutral body of the state to scrutinize whether the police officers are doing
their duties properly.

 Lack of Logistic Support

Police is always confronted with the problem of inadequate logistic support. On an average police
staffs sit in each room of a police station. In most of the police stations there is no room for
conference or meeting. Police stations of districts and thanas have no prison van, metropolitan
police stations though have prison vans, but those are old and obsolete. Malkhanas of
metropolitan and district police stations are narrow and unhygienic, while police stations of
thanas have no malkhana. The toilet facilities of police stations are insufficient.

 Lack of Proper training

Because of lack of proper training and motivation, police do not know that they are the servants
of the Republic, which requires its people to be served properly. Members of police force are
busy with serving the government officers and party in power, rather than acting in a service-
delivery system.

 Non co-operative attitude

The police of lower echelon constitute majority of police force. But they, particularly the
constables, Nayeks and low ranking police officers, do not possess substantial educational and
intellectual attainments. Their treatment and exposure to the general people is very arrogant
and frightening and very non co-operative.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Police are the most visible part of the law enforcement agency and very concerning element of
the criminal justice system. Role of police is very significant to control crime. Public security and
safety also depends on them. Without any doubt it could be said that, police have a lot of
responsibility to establish a peaceful and secure society.

The police need resources to tackle internal threats and crime. They remain far better placed to
handle counter- insurgency and terrorism threats than a military trained to fight external
enemies. The international community should realize that helping the police rank and file, not
just military and elite paramilitary forces, with training and technical assistance would pay
counter-terrorism dividends. However, the Bangladesh government should not just improve
training, increase financial support and eventually police numbers but also enact concrete organ-
insertional and political reforms.
file:///C:/Users/LABLU/Downloads/Bangladesh_police_organogram_branch_hist.pdf

Bangladesh’s police have a well-deserved reputation for brutality, corruption and incompetence.
While all governments since independence have acknowledged these fundamental flaws, none
of them has seen a competent and accountable police force as being in its interest. Whether the
necessity has been fighting crime or tackling terrorists, successive administrations have relied on
half measures and quick fixes usually involving the military rather than reforming the police as a
long-term solution. But it high time that the government did that.