A lot has been said about police reforms but there is one very important group that has always been ignored — the civilian or support staff, as they call them. 

These people play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth flow of police activities. 

Starting from the chief accountants, procurement officers, clerks who receive, file and dispatch letters, to typists who ensure the letters received from headquarters are well typed and information reach their destination.

Cup of tea

The messenger ensures that the senior police officer who gets into the office at 0600hrs gets a cup of tea by 0630hrs regardless of where he resides. 

And he or she also who ensures that the police offices are clean and well kept.

Despite the poor pay given to the civilian staff in the police service, there are also other privileges they are not given.

  Take, for example, the election pay given to the police. Most civilians were also in the office ensuring that information reached destination at the right time and that the officers were well equipped in terms of right tools and equipment to ensuring vehicles were well maintained and mobile.  But this fact was ignored.

Goal achieved

 Goals are easily achieved through teamwork and the fact that the civilian staff in the police service have been neglected for many years is good enough for somebody to come out and put it on the table.

The civilian staff share offices with the police officers. If the buildings housing the D/IG, PPOs, OCPDs and the OCS are to be bombed today, the biggest casualties would be the civilian staff. 

Most of the files (documents) and stores (like uniforms) are kept and maintained by the civilian staff, who ensure that records are available whenever required.

Civilian staff

When visitors visit most of the senior police officers, the first impression they get is that of a civilian staff. They are received by secretaries and served by subordinate staff. 

Isn’t it fair, therefore, that this group is acknowledged for the good work and tolerance they have shown? It is sad and one would be amazed at how these people working for the Government have been neglected for so long yet bear the burden of work. Something has to be done.

We wonder why this group of people is not considered in the police reform process even as they do the donkey work. We are appealing to the people concerned to consider this advice.

 

Zipporah, via Email