What's the focus?
When the country announced the disbandment of the ill-famed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Police, it might have conveyed the impression that the problem was with the name. The acronym, SARS, may conjure up distressing imagery in the minds of Nigerians, especially those who had received a raw deal in the hands of the officers from this unit. No one could argue against the need for a special anti-robbery squad to combat the incessant armed robbery attacks and other violent crimes in the country. It's trite to state the police are for law enforcement in maintaining law and order in the society, and it's not in question that society needs a functional and effective police system.
The sudden announcement of the formation of another special unit, the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) by the police authorities, within a short time, may have betrayed some misunderstanding of the whole essence of the protest against police brutality. SARS is merely a metaphor for the abuses citizens suffer in the hands of the police. SARS is emblematic of the lack of police accountability to the people and the pervasive acts of impunity. SARS is the point of contact in registering grievances against the mode of operation of the police in the country. The problem is not in the name; the issue is in what the word represents.
What's needed?
Accountability matrix. Citizens can no longer rely on the goodwill of some police officers to always act in the interest of common good at all times. People want to see credible and transparent mechanisms of holding every police officer, who may wish to operate outside of the norm, to account at all times in all places. A verifiable means of registering complaints of misconduct against the police and means of tracking action taken by the concerned authorities and eventual redress will be a significant step forward.
Generally, people don't trust the police anymore. Officers of the law must begin to conduct themselves in such a manner that the long process of restoring the confidence of citizens in the police could commence. Therefore, building trust is a top priority.
SARS to SWAT tone-deaf?
It appears the loud cries from the protests against police brutality may not be reaching home. Announcing the formation of another particular police unit, the SWAT, would in the minds of most Nigerian naturally translate to another licence to high handedness by another police "elite" group. To ordinary citizens, "elite" means being above the law, abuse of power and corruption, and to operate with impunity. And creating such similar units within a couple of days following the disbandment of SARS and while protests against police brutality are still ongoing appears insensitive and tone-deaf. A good deal of time and commitment should have been invested in building trust through the practical demonstration of respect for civil rule by the police.
Disbandment of SARS has not ended police brutality. It is instructive to know that citizens are still experiencing police high-handedness and brutality amid ongoing protests despite the ban on SARS. In every police officer, there is a "SARS" waiting for the opportunity to unleash on defenceless citizens. Wouldn't a better approach be first to announce some concrete, credible and acceptable measures at redressing the brutality and injustice meted out to people by SARS units in particular, and the police in general, and then engage stakeholders, including the civil society on the best practices in policing, including real-time monitoring of subsequent police actions and interaction with the populace?
What to do?
There are no easy answers to the problem bedevilling the police and policing in Nigeria. The police need to be transparent about their recruitment processes of the right profile, merit-based promotion and procedures guided by standards. There is an urgent need to embrace the theory and practice of community policy in gaining the trust of the people. Officers, including their superiors, who have been accused of abusing their powers and other forms of corruption, should be thoroughly investigated by an independent investigative panel. Those indicted should be prosecuted per the law. There should be a clear statement and official policy, backed by visible actions, that it is no longer business as usual; that police brutality and corruption cannot be tolerated anymore. The police should also be supported and provided with the necessary tools, current knowledge and skills required for the difficult work of policing in the contemporary world.
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