Guidelines on police promotions overdue

The decision by the National Police Service Commission and Inspector General to suspend promotions, appointments and design of new emblems in the force will prove popular for the right reasons.

Promotions in the force have been the subject of much derision and anguish, with claims that in the past, a few very senior officers more often than not had an interest in the same that was not altogether altruistic.

Following its misstep with the recent appointment of the Deputy Inspector General, the Commission appears to be focusing on an issue that has lowered morale significantly in the National Police Service.

In the first instance, a lot of the promotions were rushed through before the new leadership of the force took up office and one of the sources of discontent in the force over the matter is that several were not on merit.

Also, as the NPSC says, they are in the process of reviewing the policies, standards and regulations that are to guide such matters, and so the promotions were premature. However, once these are in place, it is hoped that the commission will work closely with the Inspector General to ensure political interference of the kind seen with the recent appointments does not recur.

Failed system

There are some who still feel that the matter of promotions should be left entirely to the IG and his senior officers. Unfortunately, this has not worked in the recent past, and this is exactly why the commission was created to spearhead reforms in the force.

Investigations by various commissions of inquiry into alleged police abuses have pointed out that the lack of transparent and airtight rules for promoting officers, which should also consider not just their success records, but also their disciplinary records and standing amongst fellow officers and the general public, among other things, is to blame for the corruption in the force.

It is also important that once the commission draws up the guidelines, it should publish them on the police web site and newspapers for reasons of transparency.