Police are one of the most ubiquitous organizations in society.

The policemen, therefore, happen to be

the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger, crisis, and difficulty,
when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police station and a policeman
happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person for him. The police are expected
to be the most accessible, interactive, and dynamic organization of any society. Their roles, functions,
and duties in the society are natural to be varied, and multifarious on the one hand; and complicated,
knotty, and complex on the other. Broadly speaking the twin roles, which the police are expected to play
in a society are maintenance of law and maintenance of order. However, the ramifications of these two
duties are numerous, which result in making a large inventory of duties, functions, powers, roles, and
responsibilities of the police organization

Even though Lesotho has very strict gun-control laws, criminal elements smuggle firearms in from South

Africa through the porous border. The use of firearms in conducting criminal acts is on the rise. Increases

in the use of tactics more commonly seen in South Africa are also on the rise in Lesotho. This includes
the

increased use of car remote jammers/blockers to steal from vehicles parked at large shopping areas
with

limited guard or camera visibility.

Criminals are generally armed and not averse to using violence to achieve their objective, especially
when

they encounter resistance. Should an armed individual confront you, comply immediately, avoid making

sudden movements, and do not offer any resistance. Criminals could perceive any hesitation as a threat,

turning to violence. Crimes committed at gunpoint have increased, and are the most common type of

force; however, crimes committed at knifepoint are also common.

Lesotho has witnessed an upsurge insecurity and political instability over the last 53 years of

independence. The root cause of the tension between the government and security institutions

is attributed to politicization of the security institutions during the authoritarian (1966 - 1986)

and military rules (1986 - 1993). The transition from military regime to civilian government in

1993 was affected by pockets of resistance from the army, culminating in violent conflict

between army factions and the assassination of the Deputy Prime Minister in 1994. The

prevailing political unrest was exacerbated by disturbances within the National Security Services
(NSS) and the strike by the police over salary increase in May and June 1994 of the same year2

Security agencies have also been recently blamed for the current political impasse and

deteriorating security conditions characterised by fragile coalition governments that have failed

to remain in power for the five year constitutional term. This has resulted in unprecedented

incidents such as the convening of general elections three times in five years since 2012, the

attack on Lesotho Mounted Police Services (LMPS) police stations by Lesotho Defence Force

(LDF) members in 2014, Lesotho Correctional Services (LCS) go-slow strike over salaries in 2014

and the assassination LDF commander in 2017

The monograph also considers the future of police work. The problems of upgrading police practice,
streamlining police organization, and improving the recruitment and training of police are given specific
attention. The author faces directly the knotty problem of the police's use of force and makes specific
suggestions to help the police on this matter. Indeed, new models of police practice are projected.

Despite these widely acknowledged advance,s, however, the police continue to project as bad an image
today as they have in the past,a In fact, the voices of criticism seem to have increased. The traditional
critics have been joined by academic scholars and by some highly placed judges. Certain segments of
American society, notably the ethnic minorities and the young people, who have only recently acquired
a voice in public debatE!, exprel.'ls generally hostile attitudes toward the police. At the same time, news
about rising crime rates and widely disseminated al~counts about public disorders-ranging from
peaceful protest to violent rebellioncontribute to the feeling that the police are not adequately
prepared to face the tasks that confront them. As a result of all of this, the police problem has moved
into the forefront of public attention, creating conditions in which highly consequential and

One of the most pervasive groups in society is the police force. As a result, police officers are the most
visible representatives of the government. When a citizen is in need, danger, crisis, or problem and is
unsure what to do or whom to contact, the police station and a police officer are the most appropriate
and approachable unit and person for him. In any culture, the police are expected to be the most
accessible, participatory, and dynamic organization. On the one hand, their tasks, functions, and
responsibilities in society are diverse and multifaceted; on the other, they are intricate, knotty, and
convoluted.

When the State Government declares a specific service to be an essential service to the community, it is
the responsibility of the police to ensure that the service is maintained, and every police officer must
obey any order given by any officer superior to him in connection with the service specified in the
government's declaration.

Over the last 53 years of independence, the LMPS has seen an increase in insecurity and political
instability. The politicization of security institutions during authoritarian (1966-1986) and military
administration is thought to be the main source of antagonism between the government and security
institutions (1986 - 1993). The army's resistance to the transition from a military to a civilian
administration in 1993 resulted in violent warfare between army factions and the death of the Deputy
Prime Minister in 1994.