Officers’ rehabilitation a must: psychology professor
Marches staged by police officers of different ranks in several part of Egypt mirrored efforts by security staff to improve their relationship with the people after the January 25 revolution that saw the end of former President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
Decades of oppression and violence on the part of police led to a fast deterioration in the relationship between Egyptians and security officers, Cairo Press House reported.
The situation was aggravated by the violent repression of protestors whether with tear gas, rubber and live bullets, or beatings and by the sudden withdrawal of the police from Egyptian streets on January 28, also known as ‘Angry Friday.’
Changing the slogan of the police from "The police and the people serve the homeland" to "The police serves the people" constituted the first attempt to gain favor with Egyptians. The Interior Ministry also started sending text messages to people’s mobile phones assuring them that the police will never mistreat them.
Regaining trust
The peaceful marches of police officers, whose main slogan was "The police and the people are one entity," aimed at winning the trust of the people and stressing the introduction of a new ethical code in the security establishment, said Dr. Abdel-Samad Sokar, security expert, professor of Penal Law, and spokesperson of more than 15,000 police officers.
"We wanted to tell the people that police officers are not merciless tools of torture," he said. "They do commit violations because they receive orders to do so from their seniors under the pretext of protecting law and order."
Sokar added that police officers themselves are under a lot of pressure because of the nature of their job.
"Tens of thousands of officers have not taken any leave since the end of last year because of the latest events that started with the Alexandria church bombing then the January 25 protests."
Sokar called upon Egyptians not to hold the Interior Ministry accountable for all the problems in the country although he admitted that the ministry is in need of radical reforms.
"Officers of all ranks have to be penalized if they commit violations and the police have to serve the people not the regime."
On the other hand, Sokar added, the standard of living of police officers needs to be raised in order to avoid much of the corruption that has been taking place in the ministry.
"If officers get a salary that provides them with security, they will not resort to illegal practices like blackmail or bribes."
Sokar called upon the police and officials at the Interior Ministry to emulate the army’s behavior in the last crisis.
"The army was a perfect example of neutrality and they never tried to win the favor of the regime at the expense of the people."
Police behavior
According to Dr. Ahmed al-Mahdi, professor of psychology, police officers need to go through psychological rehabilitation in order to be able to change the way they treat people.
"Before joining the Police Academy, the officer-to-be should undergo psychological and emotional examination that test his reactions and gauge how violent he can get in different situations," he said.
These tests, he added, should be complemented by investigating the applicant’s background, the stressful experiences he has been through at earlier stages of his life, and any family problems that might have affected his psychological makeup.
Mahdi explained that way students are enrolled in the police academy should change so that all sorts of bribes and nepotism are abolished and choice of students becomes based on their qualifications only.
"Neutrality in the choice of police students is extremely important because if the student joins the academy through bribery or nepotism, imagine what his behavior will be like when he becomes an officer."
Nourishing religious principles in police officers, Mahdi added, is also important in promoting ethical values and encouraging respect for citizens.
"It is a difficult mission, but it is not impossible. Determination and good leadership will make it happen. Only then can we turn a new leaf and prove that the police and the people are one entity," he concluded.