Independent Police Complaints Commission


By Peter Moorower

Will an establishment of an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) similar to the one established in the UK and other developed countries help solve the ongoing police killings, brutalities, harassments, bulling, misconducts etc., in PNG and restore public confidence?
PNG is currently witnessing and reporting on numerous daily police misconducts including deaths of citizens caused by careless policemen right around the country. Currently, almost all cases of police –caused deaths, brutalities, harassments and misconducts etc., reported to the police by the public are only investigated by colleague policemen. With policemen investigating offences committed by their fellow colleague(s) poses the question of independency and impartiality of the investigation and more importantly the delegated powers. The purpose of such investigation is to allow for ultimate justice to prevail and to create public confidence. However, it appears that few reported cases gets investigated with justice done but most are either deliberately ignored, tampered with to influence outcome, delayed - allowing for time effect or swept under the carpet, though the cases were/are very serious in nature.

The public confidence and respect for the Royal PNG Police constabulary has deteriorated much in the recent times. Public and businesses are insecure from both the police and the criminals alike. On the whole, PNG is really seeing a total breakdown in control and command in the RPNGPC at the time the country is on its way into economic transformation.

Prime Minister O’Neil who has acted so fast in appointing and confirming the current Police Commissioner to his position can no longer rely on Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki’s control and command given the magnitude of police misconducts. The Police Minister is not even seen or heard and may have gone into hibernation when his men are making headlines. The PM is currently seeking Australia’s help on the policing matter but whether is it going to be a long-term solution for PNG or for a short term only is something the government of PNG should seriously address.

While the PM’s request for Australia’s help implies a state of emergency in context, PNG as a sovereign nation can look at other system that may work better to address police misconducts in a long-run to restore public confidence and restore the image and integrity of the RPNGPC.
The issue of police misconducts and public concerns has become contentious issues for many countries including the UK. For the UK, the idea of an independent body to oversee and investigate police complaints had been considered for many years.

Both Lord Scarman’s inquiry into the Brixton riots in 1981 and the Stephen Lawrence inquiry in 1999 called for the establishment of an independent body. In April 2000, the human rights organisation Liberty issued a study called An independent police complaints commission. Partly in response to these calls, in May 2000 the government carried out a consultation on a new complaints system. It produced a briefing note called, 'Feasibility of an independent system for investigating complaints against the police'. These consultations culminated in the Police Reform Act 2002 which established the IPCC. The IPCC became operational in April 2004. Since then the IPCC investigate the most serious complaints, allegations of misconduct and deaths or cases of serious injury caused by the police or other agencies. They also deal with appeals against the way that police have recorded, resolved or investigated complaints against themselves.

The IPCC is of course a constitutional office organised independent of the Police Department and organised into a number of directorates and departments with offices throughout the UK.

The Commission values:

Justice and respect for human rights
Independence
Valuing diversity
Integrity
Openness

The Commission is the governing board of the IPCC. It holds collective responsibility for governance of the Commission including oversight of the executive. As public office holders, commissioners oversee and take ultimate responsibility for IPCC investigations, casework and the promotion of public confidence in the complaints system. The link below provides details of IPCC https://www.ipcc.gov.uk/

This is only an information. The onus is with the government of PNG as to how it can effectively address police complaints for ultimate justice and for public confidence.
For a safe and free  PNG.

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