Police Reforms
Police Reforms: Too Important to Neglect, Too Urgent to Delay

News Archives

India: Police say that they fired into the air, wielded bamboo sticks and used teargas to disperse hundreds of protesters in Kashmir. Police alledge that an attempt to block protesters from marching through Kupwara led to the protestors throwing stones at police. The protesters were demonstrating against a police claim that they killed three suspected-militants in a gun battle. People believe that the police arrested three youths and then killed them during a staged gun battle. (29/06/07)

India: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan denied allegations that the police stepped aside and allowed Students Federation of India (SFI) activists to commit acts of vandalism at a common entrance test venue Tuesday 26 June. Balakrishnan says that enough police were present and they acted promptly to avert violent incidents. Management asked the Kerala High Court for police protection before testing day and have alleged that the students did over Rs.25,000 of damage. (28/06/07)

Ghana: The Ghana Police Service is investigating allegations that District Commander Alex Asubonteng Donkor extorted money from illegal chainsaw operators before releasing them. Allegedly, the District Commander seized over ¢300,000 to ¢6 million by demanding money upon arrest, and operators who refused to pay had their logs sold on the open market. (27/06/07)

UK: A study of senior officers by the Police Federation in England and Wales found that Superintendents believe there is too much bureaucracy in the police organisation. For example, 71 percent of Superintendents believe that bureaucracy has a negative effect on policing; 61 percent claimed that they do not have enough control of police resources to meet policing demands in their communities; and 49 percent said that training for management roles is inadequate. (27/06/07)

Jamaica: A Labour Party leader called upon the Jamaican Commissioner of Police to condemn police actions at the Ardenne School Compound. OnTuesday 26 June, police shot and wounded a mentally-ill man in front of students and teachers. Police were pursuing the man after he allegedly threw rocks at a police unit and ran into the school. An investigation is under way by the Bureau of Special Investigations. (27/06/07)

New Zealand: The Council for Civil Liberties said that police should not be given the power to fingerprint without arrest or charge. The police want to use the latest eye scanning and fingerprinting technology to scan people and compare information against a national database while they are working on the streets. This policy was presented as a possible change to the 1958 Police Act. Civil liberties groups say that this is giving the police too much power. (27/06/07)

Australia: Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson says that an indigenous man arrested on suspicion of theft died in custody on 26 June. The man was en route to Mareeba watchhouse for questioning when he died in a police car. The Queensland Police Service ethical standards command, Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) and the coroner will investigate. (26/06/07)

Australia: The Police Complaints Authority has refused to investigate the theft of 20 highly sensitive files from an unmarked police car. The authority will not give reasons for why it will not investigate the incident. The files contained information about gang members and informants. There are allegations that the police filed the complaint with the Commission to keep the name of the officer involved a secret from the public - hen officers are being investigated by the Commission their information is kept secret until the investigation is over. (26/06/07)

Malaysia: Police in Sarawak have introduced restrictions on the media coverage of crime stories. Journalists must now request permission before writing or reporting crime stories, the police must be their sole source of information and journalists are prohibited from entering crime scenes and police offices. (26/06/07)

Uganda: The police have announced former Commissioner of Police in Charge of Crime Edson Mbiringi, was suspended for insubordination and professional misconduct, not for summoning the Principal Private Secretary to the President Amelia Kyambadde. Earlier in the week, media outlets reported that Mbiringi was fired for summoning Kyambadde to make a statement for an investigation into a case reported against her. A police public relations officer said that the firing was not an effort to cover up an investigation. (25/06/07)

India: The Administrative Reforms Committee submitted a report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that called for the probe of every reported encounter death within 24 hours by an independent inspectorate, mandatory video recordings of confessions, the creation of independent crime investigation agencies, an increase in the power to deploy state forces to restore order and the ability to arrest and search without warrant. These reforms are a result of reports about the encounter killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife in Gujarat. (25/06/07)

Jamaica: The Ministry of Justice broke ground on a new police station and court house. The projects are a part of the Jamaican Justice System Reform Programme. At the ceremony, the Attorney General emphasized that justice reform is at the top of the national agenda and that he is reviewing 183 recommendations from the new Justice Reform Task Force report. (24/06/07)

New Zealand: A report released by Senior Sergeant Iain Saunders, a psychologist and senior member of the Royal New Zealand Police College's Recruitment Training Group, says that public safety is at risk because of the low standards for police recruits. The police denied the report’s existence for months and it was not until the Office of the Ombudsmen spoke with the police until they released the report. (23/06/07)

India: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said that no person should be denied the right to issue a first information report – especially on the basis of income or prestige. She says that people who have not been able to register a first information report over the past three years have a month to register their reports with the police. She said that police need to adopt a humanitarian approach to policing. (23/06/07)

Nigeria: Police officers and bereaved family members have offered differing reports of how a Nigerian man died. The family and many townspeople say that Adekunle Adebusoye Lawrence died from as a result of injuries he received from a brutal beating by the police in Lagos. State Commissioner of Police,. Paul Isegbohi, says that Lawrence died from epilepsy, and that witnesses saw Lawrence writhing on the ground as a result of leprosy, not a beating. Family members and police are awaiting the results of an autopsy. (23/06/07)

Nigeria: The police have arrested 50 labour leaders and National Labour Congress Chairman Mr. Eugene Enugu for mobilising transporters and traders to join the strike. They were put in detention and then released a few hours later. Earlier in the week, the state Police Commissioner ordered the arrest of Enugu after a statement by Inspector General said that the leaders had hijacked the strike. (23/06/07)

Australia: A police officer who was fired for having sex with a gang member and then giving her information about a drug dealer is appealing his dismissal to the Supreme Court. The officer was found guilty of three charges by the Misconduct Tribunal. (23/06/07)

Canada: The Vancouver Police Department has named Jim Chu as the new Chief of Police. Chu is the first Chinese-Canadian to be appointed to the position. Before his appointment he managed a special unit that handles emergency response teams, gangs and drugs units, criminal intelligence and policing for the 2010 Winter Olympics. (22/06/07)

Guyana: Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced that although the government has approved US$32 million for new DNA testing equipment for the Guyana Police Force Laboratory, the purchase is not at the top of the government’s agenda. In previous interviews, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee promised that the equipment would be purchased through a police reform programme funded by a US$25 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. Police experts say that lack of DNA testing capabilities is the main reason why the police cannot work through a long list of unsolved murders. (22/06/07)

Australia: A report by legal and community groups in Queensland says that indigenous peoples and the homeless suffer from high levels of police harassment. Groups like the Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) and the Red Cross contributed to the report. Researchers interviewed 131 people and 54 criminal justice professionals. About 75% of interviewees said that they experienced some form of police harassment. Impoverished interviewees reported being subjected to frequent police searches for no apparent reason and strip searches in pubic by an officer of the opposite sex. Writers of the report hope that the government will take it into consideration and make necessary reforms. (14/06/07)

India: Kiran Bedi, director-general of the Bureau of Police Research and Development, has called for multiple police reforms. Her suggestions include more investment in policing, leadership training for officers, merit-based tenure, changing work conditions, collecting security taxes, and conducting more research in the police and criminal justice system. Bedi delivered the Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Endowment Lecture at Madras University. She says that rural areas are hurting the most in the current system because there is little or no access to police. (14/06/07)

Nigeria: Last Wednesday, the Independent Advocacy Project’s Nigeria Corruption Index (NCI) named the police force as the most corrupt institution in the country. The researchers behind the index say that corruption drives the average Nigerian to “despair”. A survey found that Nigerians are not satisfied with the anti-corruption crusade of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo. (14/06/07)

Canada: A black man mistakenly arrested and detained by police over seven months ago is still awaiting a police probe of the incident. In 2003, two police officers arrested him while chasing a white suspect. He got out on bail and has had to live on bail restrictions (including a curfew) for over nine months. Police Chief Brian Mullan apologized for the misconduct and promised a comprehensive review of the incident after an internal investigation exonerated the two arresting police. The man filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and filed a civil lawsuit. (13/06/07)

Kenya: Finance Minister Amos Kimunya’s budget includes provision for 24,885 new police officers. This would nearly double the amount of police officers in the country. Terrorist threats, battles with the Mungiki sect, and a wave of insecurity are the catalysts for this action. The plan also includes recruiting 5,000 National Youth Service graduates for menial tasks, increasing the size of the police college, rehiring retired police officers that are under the age of 60, and other infrastructure reforms. Many say that the plan will fail if the government does not double the training and weapons capacity as well. (13/06/07)

India: Anti-Corruption Bureau agents arrested a police constable for demanding Rs 1 lakh bribe to give ‘VIP treatment’ to a person in custody in Nagpur. The constable, Suryakant Tidke, is trying to evade legal prosecution. (13/06/07)

Trinidad and Tobago: Police Commissioner Trevor Paul and National Security Minister Martin Joseph say that the reformed police service will allow females to rise to the highest ranks. The remarks were made at the annual meeting of the Caribbean Association of Women Police Officers (CAWP) on Sunday. Paul said that a host of reforms, including merit-based protocols for promotion, assessment centres, and allowing more women into police training, will eventually lead to a female police commissioner in the region. (12/06/07)

Kenya: Chief Justice Mr Evan Gicheru says that if police are not given the proper training, resources, and assistance from the public, they will not be able to combat organized crime. This comment came at a regional conference on police accountability and effectiveness by Kenya National Commission on Human Rights in Kiambu. Police snubbed the event. Gicheru says that if the government does not enforce the Witness Protection Act and do more to guarantee the safety of witnesses, it will be impossible for the justice system to prosecute defendants adequately and the public will resort to extra-judicial killings. He spoke minutes after an organised attack that killed one and left many wounded. (12/06/07)

Ghana: A father says that his 14-year-old daughter was unjustifiably detained at the insistence of Regional Commander DCOP Kwaku Opare Addo. The girl’s mother reported an instance of sexual misconduct to the police with the hope that they would reform her. Instead, the police detained the minor for four days. The girl’s father reported the incident to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and vows to go to court if the matter is not resolved. (12/06/07)

Zimbabwe: Harare police brutalised foreign currency exchangers. Activists and officials from around the world say that Zimbabwe is in a period of “state sponsored terrorism”. The incident occurred between 28 May and 31 May. Officers and youth militia dressed as foreigners looking for currency exchange abducted and beat 67 foreign currency dealers from three locations. The dealers were subjected to more beatings after they were booked at the Harare Central Police Station. Most of the dealers had items and money stolen from them. The police accused the dealers of decreasing the value of Zimbabwe currency in relation to other currencies. (11/06/07)

Fiji: The Minister of Fijian Affairs, Rapu Epeli, says that all deaths related to police and military brutality are Fijian males because they comprise 80% of the prison population. He went on to say that he does not condone excessive force and that the government is investigating the issue. Just last week, a Nasinu man died after being beaten by police. Eight police officers are under investigation for the death and last week interim Prime Minister Bainimarama wrote a letter of condolence to the family of the man. Dr. Shaista Shameem, Director of the Human Rights Commission, says that police brutality has been documented ‘across the board’ and is not limited to Fijians. (11/06/07)

Canada: Critics say that Ombudsman Andre Marin should not conduct the investigation of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Marin is a former director of the SIU, a body that investigates civilian complains of police misconduct. There has been a staggering increase in the amount of complaints filed and dismissed by the SIU. While Marin was director, five police officers were charged out of 300 investigations. None of the officers were convicted and police detectives for malicious prosecution sued Marin. These charges were dismissed or settled by the court. (11/06/07)

Nigeria: There are allegations that police attacked Gombe State Students Association (GOSSA) at a swearing-in ceremony of Governor Danjuma Goje. Comrade Bilyaminu Yakubu, the National President of GOSSA, says that police descended on students with no provocation and called for an investigation of involved police units. Police Deputy Commissioner Ambrose Aisabor says that he has no knowledge of the events. Students say they will protest peacefully at the state capital if the claims are not investigated. (11/06/07)

India: for the second time in two weeks, police beat unemployed teachers protesting in Kapurthala. Around seven teachers were injured and three were admitted to a hospital with serious injuries. Over 1,500 teachers are protesting the government’s failure to fill over 32,000 vacancies for arts and crafts, computer, and B.Ed teachers. The Ministry of Education will not speak to the protesters. (10/06/07)

Australia: A pilot filed a complaint with the Crime and Misconduct Commission over an alleged bashing and string of death threats given by a police officer while he was in custody at the Noosa Police Station. Another man says that a similar incident occurred while he was in custody and that the officer responsible received no punishment. The Crime and Misconduct Commission is investigating both claims and would not comment on the matter. (09/06/07)

England: An agent from the Serious Organized Crime Agency, a Crime Operations agent, and a former police officer are under investigation for corruption. The three officers are connected to a high-profile Gangland killing of David ‘Noddy’ Rice. One of the officers was suspended last week. (09/06/07)

Bangladesh: The Daily Star reports that speakers at a police forum said that politicians are to blame for police misconduct. Police officials also spoke at the forum and promised that zero -tolerance rules for corruption are enforced. The program was held in the Uttara Model Police Station and organized under the Police Reform Program in conjunction with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. Along with other reforms, police officials are using monthly complaint forums like these to change outdated colonial approaches to policing. The Police Reform Program is a $16 million venture funded by the United Nations Development Program, the European Commission and the Department of International Development. (08/06/07)

Kenya: Police in Nairobi deny that they used excessive force in an operation against the banned Mungiki sect. More than 30 Mungiki suspects have died in the past week after a no-tolerance shoot to kill order was issued by President Mwaki Kibaki. Most clashes occur in Mathare, a slum of 500,000 that is believed to be a Mungiki stronghold. As violence intensifies, residents have begun to flee. Government officials say that residents are fleeing from Mungiki members, but opposition leaders say that are fleeing from police violence. (08/06/07)

Sri Lanka: Police forcefully expelled and detained several hundred Tamils in Columbo last week. Human rights violations involving the police have increased. Activist groups say there is a “culture of impunity”. Police participate in extra-judicial killings, torture, rape, excessive violence, and kidnapping as a routine part of their operations. It looks as if regime policing and brutality toward Tamils will continue under the majority Sinhala regime. (08/06/07)

Canada: The Ontario Ombudsman office has announced an investigation into the practices of the Special Investigations Unit – the civilian agency that itself investigates serious and fatal encounters between the police and the public. Ombudsman Andre Marin stated that there has been a disturbing increase in the number of complaints into the way that the unit conducts its investigations. (07/06/2007)

Malawi: The Malawi Human Rights Commission has released a scathing report on the state of the Malawi Police Service. Despite the reform process that was initiated in Malawi over a decade ago, the report has shed light on continuing practices of police brutality, suspicious deaths in police custody and torture. The Malawi Human Rights Commission have taken their concerns directly to the President, Bingu wa Mutharika. (07/06/2007)

India: The Madras High Court has expressed shock over an incident of police brutality where a visually impaired advocate was beaten by police officers at Coimbatore. The High Court issued a statement outlining its intention to initiate an enquiry into the matter. A S Mohamad Rafi filed a petition in the High Court seeking a judicial enquiry into the alleged atrocities committed against him by police. Rafi stated that officer Sathya Bama and five other police officers beat him repeatedly after he had accidentally bumped into her while he was rushing to catch a bus. (07/06/2007)

Canada: New statistics have been published that have illustrated that Montreal police have arrested between 70 and 371 people in eight different demonstrations since 1999. A little-publicised report released by the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 2005 rebuked Montreal police for “large-scale arrests at demonstrations.” (05/06/2007)

Fiji: A Fijian woman has claimed that police brutality resulted in the death of her son. 31-year-old Tevita Melesede was reportedly picked up from his home by eight police officers on the 4th June. The victim’s mother, Anise Nakuila, states that she went to the police station to see her son shortly after he was arrested, but was told that he was not there. Mrs Nakuila said that the next morning she received a telephone call from the local hospital asking that she come and identify someone there. She arrived to find her sons body on the mortuary table, with visible injuries and indicators of physical abuse. The assistant commissioner of police crime, Jese Morovia, has stated that he has appointed a team of detectives to investigate the case. (05/06/2007)

Namibia: A controversial police unit has caused anger in the capital of Namibia by brutalising peaceful demonstrators in downtown Windhoek. At least 14 demonstrators have come forward with complaints of various body and eye injuries after a local riot police unit known as the Task Force charged at protestors with batons and tear gas in an effort to prevent them from camping outside the Ministry of War Veterans Affairs. (05/06/2007)

Kenya: A report by the Kenyan police reform committee has found that long-term deployment to isolated areas, particularly in Northern Kenya, fuels the spread of HIV/Aids and strains marriages. The report points out that the rate of broken marriages is higher in the police services than in any other profession. Other than increased housing standards and better remuneration, this issue was high among those presented to the committee by officers stationed in hardship areas. (04/06/2007)

Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan has stated that the emotional pressure of dealing with attacks on her family almost forced her to resign. Ms O’Loan and her family have been subjected to intimidation and violence since she assumed the post in 1999. In an interview broadcast on Northern Ireland’s RTE Radio 1, O’Loan revealed how her sons had been attacked on more than one occasion as a result of her taking on the job as the first official police watchdog in Northern Ireland. (03/06/2007)

Jamaica: A Special Corporal in the St Elizabeth Island Special Constabulary Force has been removed from front-line duty after he allegedly assaulted a taxi driver using his licensed firearm. The taxi driver was pulled over after reportedly committing a traffic breach. During a heated argument with the police officer, it is believed that the corporal struck the taxi driver on the arm and the back of the head with his firearm. The incident sparked protests from other taxi operators in the area. (03/06/2007)

Northern Ireland: Al Hutchinson, the man appointed to oversee police reforms in Northern Ireland, has said that the rest of the world can learn from the changes that have been initiated in the Northern Ireland police service. However, in his final report Hutchinson also cautioned that the new beginning to policing could be damaged by continual investigations of past events. The report stated that the police in Northern Ireland are now fully accountable, and that 140 of 175 recommendations made by the Patten Commission have been implemented. (31/05/2007)

Ghana: Dr Raymond Atuguba, Law lecturer at the University of Ghana, has reproached the officers of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), stating that they should humble themselves and learn the skills of policing from private security services, community vigilante groups and landguards. Atuguba commented that the increasingly diversified work required of policing has now outgrown the capabilities of the Ghana Police Service. (30/05/2007)

India: The police department in the state of Assam will soon be restructured into three wings, in moves to comply with recent Supreme Court directions which require state governments to separate investigative and law and order police functions. The three wings will have specific work profiles: general law and order, VIP security and counter-insurgency operations. An official police source has stated that the final touches were being made to the bifurcation plan following several formal and informal meetings involving the Chief Minister’s office, police department and district administration. (30/05/2007)

Bangladesh: A survey conducted in order to gauge people’s opinions on essential services in Bangladesh has revealed that less than two percent of respondent households expressed satisfaction with the police services. The survey was conducted using a cross-section of 2,400 households across the four main cities of Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna. The current caretaker government is attempting to introduce police reform, however the survey results show that police effectiveness must be increased by addressing not only larger structural and systemic issues, but directly tackling areas such as lack of police response in emergency situations. (28/05/2007)

Kenya: A project underway to address the housing crisis for police officers has been delayed. The project, which has been in progress for the past three years, aims to provide an extra 27,000 two-bedroom flats for Kenya police officers and their families. The project is behind schedule and is now unlikely to be completed by 2008, as projected in the initial plans. (28/05/2007)

Jamaica: The Independent Jamaican Council for Human Rights (IJCHR) has reported that at least one person per day reports abuse carried out by officers of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The IJCHR is currently investigating 34 cases of assault by the police, and IJCHR Secretary Nancy Anderson has stated that more often than not cases made against the police have high degrees of credibility. (27/05/2007)

Canada: Niagara residents who are unhappy with their police will soon be able to take their grievances to an independent review body. Legislation was passed last week that stipulated the creation of a civilian body to look into complaints made by the public against police. Attorney General Michael Bryant has stated that the new system should lead to an “increased confidence and respect for both the public and the police.” (26/05/2007)

India: 59 people were reportedly injured in clashes with the police in the state of Chhattisgarh. Residents of Ambikapur village were protesting regarding the death of local man Vijay Deonath. Villagers allege that Deonath was attacked and murdered by local mafia, despite police registering his death as the result of a road accident. It is believed that police at the scene of the protest opened fire into the crowed, injuring approximately 24 people, and then proceeded to viciously beat protestors. The event was captured by several local news channels, and the state government has since ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. (26/05/2007)

Malaysia: In response to the recent salary increase awarded to Malaysian police officers, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director Datuk Christopher Wan has stated that all forces must “show their gratitude by working hard, being committed and staying away from corruption or abuse of power.” The CID Director also remarked that it was important for the Malaysian police to live up to expectations, as even though “the salary has been increased and would suffice to make ends meet, there is now no more excuse for any member of the force to indulge in any corrupt practice.”

Australia: A New South Wales police officer has been charged with corruption and bribery in relation to his dealings with a private investigator who has also been charged. After a police investigation that was initiated in October 2006, police identified the senior constable as having providing sensitive police information to the private investigator in return for payment. The Sydney-based officer has been suspended from duty. (23/05/2007)

South Africa: A new report has been released highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the South African police service (SAPS). The report draws attention to racially skewed service provision, uneven responses to crime and the lack of internal mechanisms to combat and identify police corruption. The report benchmarks SAPS performance in a democratic context and raises questions about the impact of employment equity on police management. Concerns are also noted about Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi’s alleged links with syndicated crime. Despite this, the report also goes on to emphasise the significant reform processes that are underway in the police service, and that it has succeeded in transforming itself from the repressive arm of the apartheid state into a department that supports democratic processes such as elections. (22/05/2007)

Dominica: Dominican Police Chief Major General Bernardo Santana Paez has stated that as long as the police are more professionally and technically equipped, they will be more effective in fighting crime and violence in the Dominican Republic. Paez delivered a speech titled “Police Reform and the Fight Against Violence” at the opening ceremony for an interdisciplinary forum on violence. The Police Chief also stated that the process of police reform was ongoing and expressed optimism that one day the fight against crime and violence, at which point the police would then “educate for peace”. (19/05/2007)

India: Shivabhai Salat, a shawl merchant from Rajkot, has used a government issued notification stating that all courts in Gujarat are designated human rights courts in order to complain against an instance of police brutality. On February 24, Salat was assaulted by two drunken policemen after thwarting their attempts to extort shawls from him. The policemen pleaded for an out of court settlement while the judicial processes were continuing, and also agreed to bear Salats' medical expenses that were incurred as a result of the assault. (18/05/2007)

Northern Ireland: Irish President Mary McAleese has applauded the increase of women in the police force in Northern Ireland. McAleese addressed a conference of women officers in Belfast on Thursday 17 May, stating that they are well positioned to challenge the “macho” attitudes that have fuelled bloodshed in the British territory. Police reform was a major pillar of the 1998 peace accord, and has been successful in rapidly transforming Northern Ireland’s traditionally male-dominated, Protestant police force. (17/05/2007)

Trinidad and Tobago: The Police Service (Amendment) Bill was passed in a special sitting of the House of Representatives in Port of Spain on Wednesday 16 May. The bill is part of the larger Police Reform Package for Trinidad and Tobago, and was passed with 26 votes for the legislation and none against it. (17/05/2007)

Canada: Legislation has been passed that will allow the creation of a new Ontario police review system. Attorney-General Michael Bryant has stated that this move “provides the public with a significant new standard of police accountability, while not interfering with the good work being done by Ontario’s police services.” The Independent Police Review Act 2007 establishes a police complaints system administered by a new civilian organisation and led by an independent Police Review Director. (15/05/2007)

Trinidad and Tobago: Two police officers from the Trinidad and Tobago police force are being investigated by the Police Complaints Authority in relation to allegations of police brutality. The officers are accused of threatening and using excess physical force against a family of five from the Chaguanas region. (15/05/2007)

Pakistan: The National Public Safety Commission (NPSC) expressed its concern at the performance of the police and other law-enforcement agencies. The NPSC acting chairman, Ltd. Gen (Retd) Moinuddin Haider, issued a statement expressing the view that “the police did not play its due role in maintaining law and order in Karachi.” The first priority of the NPSC is to create an environment where constructive interaction between the police and civil society leads to safe and secure communities that feel confident in approaching the police with their grievances. (12/05/2007)

India: Mumbai police have just completed an inquiry into 15 custodial deaths during the period of 2001 – 2006. The findings of the inquiry report that all of these custodial deaths were the result of suicide or natural causes and not the result of police brutality. Legal experts who have dealt with both criminals and officials have disputed these findings, claiming that most deaths in police custody are the result of torture. Police officials insist that the investigations into custodial deaths are conducted impartially. (11/05/2007)

Fiji: Fiji’s acting Police Commissioner has warned officers to cooperate with any investigations commissioned against them by the Fiji Anti-Corruption Unit. Acting Police Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca’s comments came after the anti-corruption unit questioned Josaia Rasiga, Assistant Police Commissioner of Crime for the second consecutive day in relation to his involvement in an investment project in the West. (10/05/2007)

Sri Lanka: Colombo Chief Magistrate has ordered the arrest of a police constable after allegations surfaced that the constable was accepting bribes in exchange for allowing an illicit brewery to operate in his patrol area. It is reported that the police officer demanded Rs. 25,000 in return for permitting the operation of the brewery. Officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption arrested the suspect while he was accepting the bribes. The constable will be remanded until May 17. (11/05/2007)

United Kingdom: Two police officers have been arrested in connection with leaking sensitive information regarding police investigations to the press after a raid on a newspaper office in Milton Keynes. Police told Johnston Press, the owners of the newspaper, that they were investigating allegations of police corruption and the leakage of confidential police information, and that the investigation will also involve other media owners. (10/05/2007)

Bangladesh: The 146 year old Bangladesh Police Act is going to be radically changed as part of the new reforms process, the New Nation news-site has reported. Official sources have stated that the act is being amended in keeping with the Police Reforms Programme (PRP) and will aim at loosening a lot of political influence over the police. The PRP National Project Director and Additional Inspector General of Police Naba Bikram Kishor Tripura says that it is hoped that the first draft of the amended police act will be completed by the end of June. (09/05/2007)

Jamaica: Protestors took to the streets in the community of Hendon Glendevon in St. James after the fatal police shooting of an alleged member of a gang known as Stone Crushers. It was reported that a police team from Kingston was on an operation in the area when they encountered a group of three men. The two parties became involved in a shoot-out, resulting in the death of Conroy Stennet, a 30-year-old resident of Hendon Glendevon. This incident is yet another in a spate of reported acts of police brutality in Jamaica. (09/05/2007)

Canada: Four Toronto police officers are facing internal charges after allegations were made that they were trumping up unsafe vehicle claims and then directing motorists to specific companies in a tow-truck referral scheme. In one instance, an officer was accused of threatening to lay charges when a motorist tried to hire a different tow-truck company. Toronto police would not comment on the case. The four officers are scheduled to appear before an internal disciplinary tribunal in June. (08/05/2007)

Zimbabwe: Yet another allegation of police brutality has been leveled at Zimbabwe police, after Beatrice Mtetwa, President of the Law Society of Zimbabwe, and three other members of the law society were assaulted by officers at a peaceful march protesting the unlawful detention of two of their colleagues. This incident continues to highlight the severe subjugation of human rights currently occurring in Zimbabwe, and speaks volumes about the urgent need for a complete overhaul of state machinery, including the police. (08/05/2007)

Pakistan: The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMR) has decided to issue the first ever non-commercial radio license to the Islamabad Traffic Police. The PEMR spokesperson Muhammad Saleem stated that this initiative would work towards establishing effective communication between traffic police and the public. He also stated that this project is one of many in the ongoing police reforms process that the Pakistani government has initiated and will service to build a “positive, constructive and affirmative” public image for police. (06/05/2007)

Ghana: Police from the Ashanti region in Ghana have again been accused of police brutality after the death in custody of Kwasi Frimpong Selasi Jnr. Selasi was reportedly arrested and assaulted by a police officer and two civilians on suspected charges of drug dealing. The Ghana Police Service representative confirmed the death in custody and the involvement of police personnel in the matter. This comes barely a week after a similar incident involving police in Kumase, where a 35 year-old man died after he was allegedly repeatedly tortured by officers of the Kumase Striking Force Unit. (03/05/2007)

Nigeria: A journalist was beaten until he lost consciousness by the Assistant Police Commissioner in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at a May Day celebration in Ondo. Dare Folorunso was attacked by Assistant Police Commissioner Joshua Mumbo and ten other officers after he allegedly took an offensive photograph of some women police officers at the event. When bystanders protested against this treatment, police officers threatened to shoot them. The Assistant Police Commissioner was smuggled out of the venue after the attack. (03/05/2007)

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are reportedly asking for bribes from desperate Zimbabweans seeking to cross the border into South Africa in order to flee the increasing political violence and economic hardship. A senior inspector based in the Beitbridge border post has stated that “soldiers and the police are among the lowest paid in Zimbabwe. As a way to augment their pathetic salaries they now solicit bribes from border jumpers. No matter how hard we try to stamp out the practice, it is very difficult because corruption has become a permanent feature of the Zimbabwean way of life.” (03/05/2007)

Canada: Canada’s largest police corruption probe in history has concluded with half of the officers investigated facing a criminal trial. The internal investigation was created to look into allegations of corruption against the now-defunct Central Field Command squad, Team 3. Despite original recommendations that 218 charges should be made against at least a dozen officers, only six officers were charged with 22 counts once the investigation concluded in January 2004. The officers have all pleaded not guilty and deny any wrongdoing. They will stand trial in 2008. (30/04/2007)

Papua New Guinea: PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare has stated his intentions of increasing the PNG police force from 5,000 to around 8,000 – 10,000 officers. In a campaign speech given at a political rally staged just outside of Lae, Morobe Province, the Prime Minister expressed anger towards the Australian government. Somare stated that the Australian government should not dictate what PNG should do. This statement was made in reference to the downsizing of Papua New Guinean security forces at Australia’s insistence several years ago. (30/04/2007)

United Kingdom: John Reid, preparing to stand as the Labour Party’s next leader, is pushing a new police reforms plan that focuses on commissioners taking charge of staffing, budgets and target setting, while leaving the operational control of police forces with the chief constables. The policy is similar to the one put forward earlier this year by Conservative MP David Cameron. (29/04/2007)

India: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has raided the home of a police superintendent charged with misconduct and for possessing assets disproportionate with his known income. Superintendent JG Murali is facing six charges including an alleged nexus with realtors. ACB officials are also conducting similar searches at the residences of Murali’s family in Hyderabad and Bangalore. (28/04/2007)

Jamaica: Countless residents of Rose Town took to the streets to protest against the killing of a member of their community. Residents allege that a law-abiding citizen had been shot dead by police after running to the assistance of a woman involved in an altercation in her house. Jamaican police maintain that the victim was a gunman who was wanted in connection with an earlier shooting in the area. (27/04/2007)

South Africa: Zimbabweans living in South Africa have established a Humanitarian Fund aimed at assisting victims of police brutality. The fund will assist in providing food, medication and accommodation for the many Zimbabweans who are being needlessly terrorised by the police. (27/04/2007)

Nigeria: Alhajie Nasiru Garba Dantiye, the member representing the federal constituency in Jigawa has told journalists that he was attacked by a “rampaging mobile policeman” who was deployed to his constituency by senior authorities. Dantiye also alleged that police deployed to the area had been harassing, intimidating and arresting innocent citizens. (26/04/2007)

India: Protests against police brutality turned violent after lawyers and pradhans (village heads) vented their anger at shopkeepers and vehicle owners in Dumka. The demonstration was held in response to a police attack on pradhan president Brim Mondal. On 23 April, witnesses state that Mondal was accused of breaking the traffic rules and then mercilessly beaten by police officers that were patrolling the area in a police vehicle. (25/04/2007)

Northern Ireland: The Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan, and her aides are being investigated over allegations that they leaked information regarding ongoing investigations to the media. The action is potentially a criminal offence, and is the latest development in a bitter confrontation between O’Loan and the Northern Ireland Retired Police Officers Association. (25/04/2007)

India: In a raft of directives introduced by the Supreme Court in September 2006, all state governments in India are required to implement institutional frameworks in order to increase transparency, accountability and civil participation in policing. Most states have complied on paper with the Directives, but as of 22 April, six major states continued to defy the Courts directives. (22/04/2007)

Jamaica: Despite the establishment of a police Professional Standards Branch and Major Investigation Teams in order to modernise the organisation, the Jamaican Police have continued to be plagued with recurring and mounting charges of corruption and brutality. A poll conducted in January found that 55 percent of Jamaicans believed the police were corrupt. (22/04/2007)

Kenya: Relief agency Action Aid has put a stop to all work in the conflict-ridden region of Mt Elgon. The decision to stop work in the area comes almost one week after police gunned down one of the organisations staff members. Police have justified the shooting, maintaining that the aid worker had been identified as a member of the Sabaot Land Defence Force militia group. (21/04/2007)

India: A production assistant for an events management company was beaten up and taken into custody by Dharavi police in Mumbai. Dibakar Kandy, 23, was beaten up by police outside a garage in Dharavi after officers suspected him of being involved in “planning something with someone.” Kandy was then taken to the Dharavi police station where he claims officers continued to beat him with their belts. (20/04/2007)

South Africa: Coin security guards are planning to take civil action against the office of the national police commissioner, Jackie Selebi. The action comes after guards identified police officers for allegedly beating and torturing them. Fresh allegations of police brutality have been made by Metrobus drivers, who allege that they were also assaulted and tortured in the same premises as the guards following a recent Metrobus strike. (20/04/2007)

Bangladesh: The UNDP’s Police Reform Programme held a workshop entitled ‘Towards Pro-Women Policing’ in Dhaka on Wednesday 18th April. The Police Reform Programme is designed to help improve the performance and professionalism of Bangladesh police officers, bringing the police into closer alignment with the government’s broader objectives and community expectations. (19/04/2007)

Cyprus: Over 200 residents gathered to block the Nicosia-Larnaca highway on Tuesday 17th April, protesting over the development of the highway and the brutality that many villagers claim they have endured at the hands of police. One resident has stated that the police used teargas against them and then needlessly arrested the wife of a prominent community leader. (18/04/2007)

Jamaica: Allegations of police brutality have been leveled at the Jamaican police after the fatal shooting of a man by officers in Olympic Gardens. The Member of Parliament for West Central St. Andrew, Andrew Holness, has demanded an urgent meeting with the Police High Command, accusing the police of improper conduct. (18/04/2007)

Namibia: The Inspector General of the Namibian Police Force, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga, has spoken out against members of the police who have purportedly been abusing their powers. Ndeitunga was addressing the recent claims of police brutality at the opening of a two-year police training course in Human Rights and Institutional Development. (18/04/2007)

Malawi: Police officers will be attending a two-week public order management and training course designed to help them act within the confines of the law when dealing with public disorder. Malawi Deputy Commissioner of Police Paul Kanyama has commented that it is necessary for the police to undergo this training, as the police have long been associated with “undemocratic and brutal actions when enforcing orders.” (17/04/2007)

Maldives: Allegations of police brutality have again surfaced in the Maldives after the battered body of Hussein Salah was discovered in Western Harbour in Male. Salah was arrested by police on drugs-related offences and the major opposition party claimed that he died in police custody after being severely beaten. The government responded that Salah had been released from custody prior to his death and has circulated the results of a post-mortem conducted in Sri Lanka which concludes that Salah died from drowning and that his injuries could have been sustained in the water. (17/04/2007)

Canada: The British Colombia police complaints commissioner has cleared Vancouver Chief of Police Jamie Graham of allegations that he stayed in hotel rooms courtesy of an influential businessman who was angling for more influence over the Vancouver police board. The decision is good news for Police Chief Graham, whose force has also been battling numerous complaints of police brutality against the homeless. (16/04/2007)

United Kingdom: Figures recently published by the UK Home Office have revealed that Sussex police officers spend more than one third of their working lives in training and doing paperwork instead of undertaking ‘front line tasks’ such as patrolling the streets. The Home Office has since set a time target for Sussex Police to reach in the hope of increasing time spent engaged in ‘front line’ duties. (16/04/2007)

Northern Ireland: Sinn Fein has held its first formal talks with the Northern Ireland Policing Board in Belfast, following the party’s commitment to undertake police oversight duties once power is decentralised. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams met with the chairman of the board to discuss police collusion with loyalist paramilitaries and issues of police accountability. (16/04/2007)

Kenya: Police officers and chiefs in Kenya will be trained in the provisions of the Sexual Offences Act. The effective implementation of the Act is dependent upon police investigating allegations of sexual offences in a prompt, impartial and thorough manner. This initiative is part of the wider programme of police reform that was launched last year. (16/04/2007)

Nigeria: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has approved the extension of tenure for the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The extension comes on the heels of Ribadu’s promotion to Assistant Inspector-General of Police. It is claimed that Ribadu is being rewarded for his efforts in combating corruption.(11/04/2007)

Bangladesh: The Chief Advisor of Bangladesh has stated that the current caretaker government is committed to building a service-oriented police force that is sensitive to issues of human rights and democratic values. Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed emphasised that the government has identified police reform as a major priority, highlighting the issues of transparency and accountability as key in establishing a police force that is able to effectively serve the people. (11/04/2007)

Trinidad & Tobago: Allegations of police brutality have been leveled at the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service after the death of a young man from the Morvant region. The Congress of the People (COP) Party has issued a statement calling for a full investigation into claims that the man was killed by police officers over the Easter holiday period. The COP statement also mentioned that there has been “recent information from Amnesty International which shows a high level of police brutality claims not being officially reported.” (10/04/2007)

Malaysia: The Malaysian government has been presented with a report by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police (otherwise known as the Police Commission). The report is the culmination of over 15 months of study, and the Police Commission has made 125 recommendations that deal with a variety of matters including the conduct and welfare of police, terms of service and issues regarding human rights, crime and corruption. One of these recommendations is the formation of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). (06/04/2007)

New Zealand: The New Zealand police have been ‘slammed’ by a Commission of Inquiry report after it uncovered hundreds of sex complaints made against police officers. The inquiry was ordered in 2004 to look at sex allegations against police, from the period between 1979 and 2005. The inquiry also explored how complaints against officers were handled. In response, New Zealand Police Commissioner Howard Broad issued a statement apologising unreservedly to the women caught up in the allegations. (03/04/2007)

India: The central government has requested that the Supreme Court modify its directives on police reform, saying that it was not feasible to implement the court’s orders in their entirety. The government has sought a review of the courts orders for fixed two-year tenures for Directors General of Police (DGP) of various states. (03/04/2007)

Australia: The Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and Police Minister Judy Spence announced that the State Government is preparing draft legislation that would give police service the power to widen its phone-tapping powers. The Police Minister said that the state government wanted to give police the same powers as their interstate counterparts “but not without appropriate accountability”. (03/04/2007)

United Kingdom: The UK Conservative party has proposed that a new ‘Sandhurst’ style academy should be established for police officers. The proposal is a component of a new police reform plan that the Conservative party says is aimed at cutting ‘red tape’ and enhancing local accountability. These suggestions have come amid renewed controversy regarding the bureaucracy faced by UK police. (03/04/2007)

United Kingdom: The UK police have launched the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA). The NPIA replaces both the Police IT Organisation and the Central Police Training and Development Authority. This new agency will manage improvement work for the English police services by providing core police processes, information and intelligence sharing and employee development. Chief Constable Ken Jones has stated that the establishment of NPIA “offers a one stop shop” for police reform. (02/04/2007)

Maldives: The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called for the resignation of Police Chief Adam Zahir and immediate reform of the Maldives Police Integrity Commission after recent police crackdowns on the island of Kindbidhoo. Residents of the island were protesting against the suspected corrupt activities of the island chief. The MDP estimates that over 30 people were beaten or arrested by police during the protest. (01/04/2007)

Nigeria: Tension arose in the Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, after local women claimed that 15 people had been killed while 50 others were arrested by police during a peaceful demonstration. A police spokesperson has stated that full details regarding the incident are being obtained by the police investigation department. (30/03/2007)

Tonga: The Tongan police are conducting an internal investigation into public allegations of police brutality made against three of its officers. Complaints were made about actions of police officers in connection with riots that occurred in November 2006. The allegations against police include beatings and brutal treatment of suspects detained in relation to these riots. Three police officers are now on suspension. (29/03/2007)

Nigeria: Violence has erupted in Nigeria as news spread that police were involved in the deaths of eight students. Police allegedly shot out the tyre of a station wagon carrying students from the Saki Campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, causing the vehicle to somersault and killing six passengers. As a result, students took to the streets in protest. Two protestors were shot dead by police and another four injured. (29/03/2007)

South Africa: Allegations of police brutality have been made against officers from the Johannesburg Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department. It is claimed that the officers assaulted a construction company’s driver and his colleague. The EMPD spokesperson has stated that the matter will be thoroughly investigated. (29/03/2007)

United Kingdom: Manchester police have undertaken a series of reforms that will enable them to bring increased numbers of violent sex offenders to justice. Incorporated in these reforms are the establishment of a strategic group and a quality assurance system that is designed to ensure that all investigations conducted are done so to the highest standard. (28/03/2007)

Namibia: Charges of police brutality have been leveled at the Namibian police’s Special Field Force (SFF) after claims that three men were arrested without warrants or charge and then tortured in police custody. (28/03/2007)

New Zealand: New Zealand Police Minister Annette King has called for an urgent report from the police after several New Zealand police were implicated in a series of high-profile rape trials,. The minister has also urged the women who made the allegations to come forward and assist in a detailed investigation into the incidents. (27/03/2007)

Guyana: Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik has taken up an advisory position with the Guyana government. Kerik will be tasked with providing security advice to the Office of the President and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The appointment has caused some concern as Kerik was implicated in tax fraud schemes in the US during his tenure as Police Commissioner. he government of Guyana is working towards implementing police reform by the end of the year. The reform process includes several initiatives such as the establishment of a modern forensic laboratory and the training of an anti-crime unit. (27/03/2007)

Kenya: The shooting of a minor criminal by Kenyan police has cast doubt over the effectiveness of recent law reforms. (25/02/2007)

Nigeria: The Nigerian government recently provided police vehicles and anti-riot equipment to the Liberian Police Force in an attempt to help combat a rise in violent crime and to also show its support and commitment to the peace-building efforts taking place in the country. (23/03/2007)

India: A ‘Police reforms and people’s participation’ conference held by the Campaign for Custodial Justice and the Abolition of Torture and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in Chennai stressed the need for increased police accountability and compliance with the Supreme Court’s September 2006 order on police reforms. (20/03/2007)

Canada: Hundreds of people attended a demonstration against police brutality and demanded higher levels of police accountability in relation to Montreal police violence. After the demonstration officially ended, several participants continued the protest and subsequently blocked an intersection and vandalised several local businesses. Riot police arrived at the scene and made several arrests. (19/03/2007)

Pakistan: In an expression of state antagonism towards the media, Pakistani police destroyed the offices of private TV station, Geo News, in Islamabad on Friday 16 March, while the Pakistani media minister looked on helplessly. The media minister, Mohammed Ali Durrani, tried to intervene in the situation but police did not respond to him.

The police actions were in response to media attention on the suspension of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on unspecified charges of misconduct. (17/03/2007)

Ghana: The US State Department released a report on Human Rights Practices in Ghana earlier this month. The report highlights human rights abuses within the police force, chronicling cases with instances of excessive use of force and unlawful detentions and arrests. According to the report "security forces were responsible for several deaths during the year”. (16/03/2007)

India: Police clashed with angry farmers in Kolkata over proposed plans to build an industrial park on farming land. The farmers set fire to a government office and local police forces retaliated with tear gas and baton-charges. The situation is similar to earlier violence in Nandigram, which caused the federal government to delay its plans to establish several Special Economic Zones in the hope of attracting foreign investors. (15/03/2007)

United Kingdom: The Sheffield police are facing an investigation into police brutality after a police officer was filmed attacking a teenager outside a nightclub in July 2006. The film shows the officer punching the teenager repeatedly while two other officers held the teenager down. (08/03/2007)

Kenya: The Kenyan media has been criticised for not highlighting the ambitious police, prisons and judiciary reforms that were embarked upon two years ago by the government. (08/03/2007)

Nigeria: Director of Nigeria’s Police Medical Services says he is confident that government reform programmes both in the health sector and the police would have significant impact on the service delivery in the force. Health week is to be held to encourage interaction between the health and police sectors with the aim of improving infrastructure and ‘creating and sustaining a healthy police force’. (23/11/2006)

India: Addressing the All India Conference of Directors General/Inspectors General of Police, Prime Minister Singh called for a more responsive police machinery at the grassroots level which is more gender sensitive, humane and respectful of the rights of citizens. He stressed the need to strengthen the civil police at the cutting edge of police station level and for speedy action on police reforms. Site contains the text of the PM’s address. (22/11/2006)

Malawi: The United States government, through the Millennium Challenge Corporation Initiative, is training 29 Malawian police officers in an on-going police reform program. The 14 week basic training course will teach the police officers important skills in a variety of areas as well as training them to be future instructors for the rest of their colleagues in areas such as ethics, community relations, basic patrol and interviewing suspects. (21/11/2006)

Kenya: Discussion of Police Commissioner Mohammed Hussein Ali’s attempts to develop an independent police force operating in a pluralist, democratic society. Discussion of the need for the Kenyan Government to co-operate in the fulfillment of this agenda and to cease using the police as a tool to prop up the regime. (16/11/2006)

India: Union home secretary VK Duggal chaired a meeting of Chief Secretaries and police Director Generals from both states and union territories on Monday 13 November. The aim of the meting was to obtain states’ opinions on the ‘model police Act’, which has been prepared by the Soli Sorabjee Committee to replace the Police Act of 1861, and to discuss implementation of the reforms. (15/11/2006)

India: State governments have decided to file a review petition before the Supreme Court against the court's decision on police reforms. The decision ordered the setting up of a state security commission, a national security commission, minimum tenure for Director Generals and Inspector Generals, as well as the separation of investigation and a police complaints authority. (14/11/2006)

Australia: Editorial discussing ineffective attempts at police reforms in response to riots in Redfern, Macquarie Fields and Cronulla. (14/11/2006)

United Kingdom: Police and Justice Act given royal assent as part of the government's law and order agenda. The Act paves the way for a National Policing Improvement Agency and gives the home secretary powers to intervene directly in poorly performing forces. It aims to develop a police service that works efficiently and effectively, is capable of tackling organised crime and terrorism while providing neighbourhood policing that is visible, responsive and accountable. (08/11/2006)

Australia: Police powers in Queensland have been expanded by new legislation relating to the offence of ‘public nuisance’. Article asserts that such increases in police powers need to be accompanied by proportionate increases in police accountability. (01/11/2006)

Canada: A group of law students from Osgoode Hall University have formed a Police Accountability Small Claims Collective to press for transparency, fairness and equity to be prioritised in policing institutions. Article discusses police accountability and the need to ensure that officers responsible for enforcing the law do so in a manner consistent with human rights declarations and the Charter of Rights. (30/10/2006)

Northern Ireland: Publication of ten questions that were posed eight years ago in regard to police reform and their recently presented answers. Issues include composition of the new service; officers’ ability to belong to external organisations; structures of accountability; whether the symbols and uniforms of the force will be reflective of society; and whether an independent investigation into all previous police violations of human rights will be conducted. (25/10/2006)

India: Opinion piece discussing the landmark judgment last month in which the Supreme Court ordered drastic changes in the police administration to make it more accountable and to protect it from political interference. (25/10/2006)

Australia: The Hazzard Report into the Cronulla riots has found that police were unprepared for the riots and the command structure must be improved to deal with potential future incidents. (20/10/2006)

India: The Supreme Court has passed an order requiring the federal and state governments to provide for police accountability following an application by an ex-police officer. (18/10/2006)

Malaysia: Public concern regarding the process of implementation of the 2005 Royal Commission into policing. (18/10/2006)

Pakistan: The President has listed reform of the police as one of his major achievements. (18/10/2006)

Ghana: Police chief has outlined appropriate response to traffic violations at CHRI workshop aimed to create police/public dialogue. (16/10/2006)

India: Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Home Minister, has stated that a special police investigation team will be put together before December in order to comply with a recent Supreme Court decision requiring state governments to move towards police accountability. (10/10/2006)

Kenya: Opinion article criticising the pace and effectiveness of police reform. (10/10/2006)

Maldives: The British High Commissioner has denied that the removal of the Police Commissioner was on the agenda of a series of talks between the government and the opposition facilitated by the High Commission. (10/10/2006)

India: Swaranjit Sen, a Director of Police, has been appointed as a member of a national committee to ensure compliance with a recent Supreme Court decision requiring governments to ensure police accountability. (6/10/2006)

Northern Ireland: Political and funding delays continue to frustrate the completion of a new police training college. (6/10/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The leader of the opposition has stated she is not aware of the progress of government drafted and opposition supported police reform bills. (5/10/2006)

Northern Ireland: Al Hutchinson, the Police Oversight Commissioner, has released a report examining the state of police reforms in Northern Ireland. The report warns that plans to reduce the number of policing districts in Northern Ireland may undermine efforts to deal with community crime. (28/09/2006)

Australia: A coroner’s report has criticised police conduct in relation to the death of a Palm Island man two years ago. The report states that it was not appropriate to arrest the man and attributes his death to assault by a police officer. (27/09/2006)

Australia: Opinion article discusses police corruption in light of Police Integrity Commission investigation and disbanding of an elite police unit. (26/09/2006)

United Kingdom: Superintendents grapple with reform and modernisation issues at their annual meeting. (20/09/2006)

Canada: A potential future head of the Toronto police union has proposed a policy that would allow police officers to file lawsuits against citizens who launch false claims against them. (19/09/2006)

Guyana: Former New York City Police Commissioner to lead reform of Guyana police. The Commissioner was embroiled in a corruption scandal in the United States. (15/09/2006)

Canada: The family of a man shot by a junior police recruit has called for the establishment of an independent police oversight body. (12/09/2006)

Maldives: The Commissioner of Police has been issued a verbal warning after he sent death threats to a United-Kingdom based journalist. (11/09/2006)

Australia: Victoria police has disbanded its elite armed offences squad in the wake of allegations of misconduct. (9/09/2006)

Vanuatu: Vanuatu has appointed a new Police Commissioner. (24/08/2006)

Canada: Claim that police accountable. (23/08/2006)

India: A civil society consultation workshop has been held to examine police functioning and accountability. The participants drew up a set of recommendations to submit to the Prime Minister and other relevant government agencies. (23/08/2006)

Pakistan: A National Public Safety Commission has been established to oversee federal law enforcement agencies as part of the police reforms process. The government stated that the Commission was established to work for improvements in policing and public safety matters. (23/08/2006)

Ghana: A call for greater police accountability. (21/08/2006)

Nigeria: Human rights groups have alleged the Nigerian police executed 12 suspected criminals, including a 13 year old boy. The groups have called for a public inquiry into what they termed extra-judicial killings. (21/06/2006)

Canada: The police civilian oversight agency has called for increased funding and legislative changes to allow it to carry out its duties effectively, particularly given expanding police powers. (18/08/2006)

Ghana: A call for a national security policy. (18/08/2006)

Kenya: Recent rises to police allowances promised for the July salary round have been delayed due to difficulties related to the approval of the rises. (16/08/2006)

Australia: A sexual harassment claim has been made against an officer who is part of the forensic sciences unit in the police. (14/08/2006)

Bangladesh: 5 new police stations have begun operating in Dhaka, bringing the total number of stations in the city to 33, with another 7 due to begin operating during August. The writer notes that the police reform programme also needs to include an increase in police professionalism, accessibility to police stations, efforts to fight corruption and the development of a strong accountability structure. (10/08/2006)

Nigeria: The Information and National Orientation Minister has announced that the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp will be merged with the police. This merger is part of a 20-point recommendation made in a white paper produced by the Presidential Committee on police reforms. Other recommendations include adequate funding of the police and increased salaries for officers. (10/08/2006)

India: The federal Home Ministry has suggested that state governments should reduce non-policing functions performed by constables, while filling vacant posts and paying attention to officer welfare issues, including housing, time off and office automation. (06/08/2006)

United Kingdom: Suffolk police officers face a delay before they receive their annual pay rise. (04/08/2006)

Australia: The Corruption and Crime Commission has found there is serious incompetence and misconduct within the West Australian state police service. (03/08/2006)

Nigeria: The Inspector General of Police has criticised the ability of the police to respond effectively to crime. (31/07/2006)

Nigeria: Dr Is-Lang Akintola, Director of the Muslim Rights Concern, has called on the federal government to expedite the police reforms programme to assist solving security inadequacies. (29/07/2006)

Pakistan : Chief Minister Elahi has stated that police must be subject to increased monitoring. The Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) will serve as a platform for public suggestions as to how policing could be improved. (20/07/2006)

South Africa: Four police accused of defrauding the State between 2002 and 2004 have not been removed from duty. Other senior officers complained that the investigation is moving too slowly but South Africa's police complaints body, the Independent Complaints Directorate, stated the investigation would soon be completed. (20/07/2006)

Kenya: The Nakuru High Court has ordered the Attorney General to compensate a man who had been shot and injured by a police officer. The Judge said the Attorney General was the representative of the officer's employer, the Kenya Police Force, and was therefore liable. (19/07/2006)

Nigeria: A 25-year-old man was allegedly tortured to death while in police custody. (18/07/2006)

United Kingdom: Police officers involved in the killing of J.C de Menezes in July 2005 will not face murder charges. The metropolitan police service will be charged with breaking health and safety laws. (18/07/2006)

Australia: The Australian Crime Commission is being given more power to compel witnesses to testify, particularly in sexual abuse cases. (17/07/2006)

Nigeria: A police patrol team allegedly beat to death a commercial motorcyclist after he refused to offer a bribe. Witnesses reportedly retaliated by beating two police officers and setting fire to a police vehicle. (17/07/2006)

South Africa: People Opposing Women Abuse is filing a suit on behalf of three children who survived the brutal murder of their mother and sister by their father. Prior to the murder, a police officer had illegally returned a firearms licence to the children's father. (17/07/2006)

South Africa: Alleged murderer Rodney Gxubane was shot dead by members of the Serious and Violent Crime Unit as they entered his house to arrest him. The police claimed self defence, but the victim's widow, who was present at the scene, stated the victim had not attacked police. (16/07/2006)

Canada: A new special unit is currently being created to investigate complaints of police corruption. The unit will be composed of a group of independent detectives that will report back to the police department. (14/ 07/2006)

Nigeria: Police prevented the launch of a civil society report on the recent sacking of the Nigerian Human Rights Commission's head, saying the organisers had not obtained the necessary legal authorisation. A meeting organiser described the action as barbaric and illegal as it violated both the constitutional freedom of assembly and a High Court judgment that voided the powers of the police to require a permit before citizens could meet. Members of Nigeria's human rights community stated that this incident demonstrated that the federal Government was now committed to subverting the citizens human and constitutional rights. (14/07/2006)

Ghana: Local police force denies having received orders from private company to oppose a demonstration of young people against job discrimination. The Newmont company is said to have instructed the police forces to take action against the demonstrators. Both the Regional Police Commander and Newmont Communication Director deny the allegations. (13/07/2006)

India: A Constable arrested six month ago for having molested a minor, was foung guilty of rape. He was caught molesting the girl in an open area by rickshaw drivers and an Airport Authority of India employee who reported him to the police. (13/07/2006)

Canada: Alberta is looking to set up an anticorruption unit that would investigate allegations against police officers. Coalition spokesman Gordon Christie said the team should be independant of existing police services and able to investigate police brutality.(13/07/2006)

Kenya: The government wants to take over and end a criminal case involving two policemen. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, which originally filed the case has objected against the government interference, stating that the government should give reasons as to why it should take over the case. (12/07/2006)

Vanuatu: Vanuatu's Police Service Commission is set to appoint a ni-Vanuatu (a member of a particular ethnic group in Vanuatu) to the post of Police Commissioner. One of the candidates to the position received a letter saying the selection had been made. However, the letter does not clearly say who the succesful candidate is. (12/07/2006)

Uganda: Inspector General of Police Major General Kale Kayihura has declared that policemen should be able to vote on polling days. (12/07/2006)

Nigeria: Witness testimonies state that eight people were killed in a clash between an outlawed group and the police and military joint forces in Onitsha, in the south of Nigeria. The police had been ordered to clear all armed groups out of the city, especially the MASSOP, a strong separatist group which fights for the independence of the Igbo community. (12/07/2006)

Pakistan: Robbery suspect arrested was gunned down by police in Karachi on July 11. According to several eyewitnesses, the man was dragged out of a police van and shot dead. The police deny these allegations. (12/07/2006)

Pakistan: Police reform project might fail because of internal power sharing battles. (12/07/2006)

Pakistan: A schoolboy was shot dead by the police on July 9 in Allama Iqbal after a policeman signalled to him to stop as he was riding a motorcycle. The officer was arrested and detained at the police station on charges of illegally opening fire at the boy and murder. (12/07/2006)

Australia: The police union is not satisfied with the Government's latest police pledge and says it does not meet its promise on police numbers. (12/07/2006)

India: Rajasthan leader Gopal Benwal claims he experienced police brutality on June 29 in Jaipur. The Rajasthan Unit of Congress asked for judicial inquiry regarding the suspension of the officers involved in the incident and compensation for the Benwal family. (10/07/2006)

Nigeria: The Nigerian Police Force denies a new report conclusion stating that it is regarded as one of Nigeria's most corrupt institutions. (10/07/2006)

Australia: The Office of Police Integrity is looking into allegations of police misconduct by the Armed Officers Squad over the past 2 years. The squad could be disbanded if those allegations are proven. (10/07/2006)

United Kingdom: British conservative leader David Cameron releases details of police reforms plan. (11/07/2006)

United Kingdom: An announcement that a police merger plan across England and Wales has failed because of a lack of financial support is expected shortly. The aim of the reform was to create new forces and mechanisms to fight against terrorism more efficiently. (11/07/2006)

United Kingdom: Home Office Secretary John Reid has announced that a National Policing Board will be created to drive improvements and strengthen the governance of policing in England and Wales. The National Policing Board will provide a national forum for dialogue around the challenges facing policing. The main functions of the Board will be to agree the Home Secretary's annual national strategic priorities for policing, set priorities for the National Policing Improvement Agency, set priorities for the police reform programme, enable government and police leaders to monitor progress of the reform programme and provide a regular forum for debate and discussion around policing. (05/07/2006)

Malawi: The Malawi Human Rights Commission has released a statement claiming that two policeman broke a suspect's leg and tortured several others using a knife, club and hammer in an attempt to get a confession. (03/07/2006)

Nigeria: Three University of Calabar students have been killed by three police officers. The police officers suspected the students belonged to a group allegedly involved in terrorising people around the university campus. (02/07/2006)

Canada: A critical mass bicycle-use protest has taken place without the alleged police violence that marred past events. (01/07/2006)

Malawi: Oliver Mathews Kumbambe, a police veteran of 16 years, has been appointed as Malawi's new Inspector General of Police. His appointment comes after Parliament rejected the President's first proposed appointment, Mary Damson Nangwale. Kumbambe has said that he will encourage human rights training and sensitisation for police officers. (30/06/2006)

United Kingdom: Allegations have been made that an elite police unit used excessive force on a Muslim family during an anti-terror raid. (30/06/2006)

Malaysia: Amnesty International supports the creation of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. (28/06/2006)

Nigeria: Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, has stated that he lacks the powers needed to discipline misbehaving police officers within his force. Ehindero went on to say that wide reforms were expected following the submission of the Presidential Committee on Police Reform's report to the President. He also said that the government had recognised the need for police reform to improve service delivery, put in place better service conditions and to ensure effective and accountable police responses. (28/06/2006)

Papua New Guinea: Negotiations for the return of Australian police officers to PNG, more than a year after the collapse of the last police assistance programme, are ongoing. The numbers of police involved in the revised programme could be far less than expected. 150 Australian police were withdrawn from PNG last year after the Supreme Court ruled their legal immunities invalid under the Constitution. (28/06/2006)

Fiji: Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes has stated that police officers who use force to obtain confessions run the risk of losing their jobs. His comments were made as he expressed concern at the continuous stream of complaints regarding police brutality. (27/07/2006)

India: A 25 year old man waiting for a train was beaten to death by police. Reports claim the police mistook the victim to be drunk, and hit him with sticks and batons. (22/06/2006)

Maldives: A prisoner has been hospitalised twice in two days after successive beatings by police. (22/06/2006)

India: A female Youth Congress leader has claimed that she was kicked in the stomach by police during a peaceful protest. (20/06/2006)

Nigeria: An outdated curriculum and legislation dating from 1943 were identified as the major impediments preventing the efficient performance of the Nigeria Police Force by Kemi Asiwaju, with the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (20/06/2006)

Canada: City police have launched an internal investigation into an incident where a uniformed officer slapped a handcuffed woman in the head, then threw her to the ground, leaving her with a bloody face. (19/06/2006)

United Kingdom: Home Secretary John Reid has announced the delay of plans to merge police forces in England and Wales until autumn. (19/06/2006)

Maldives: An anonymous eye witness has made allegations of police violence against a young boy. He also states that he reported the incident to the Home Minister, who promised to investigate the incident. (16/06/2006)

Canada: A group called United Against Police Violence held a peaceful demonstration outside a meet of international police chiefs. (15/06/2006)

Northern Ireland: George Monbiot comments on the aspects of historical police brutality in Northern Ireland touched on by the Ken Loach film The Wind That Shakes The Barley. (14/06/2006)

Canada: The 2006 International Conference for Police and Peace Officer Executives is set to begin on 14 June 2006 in Vancouver. (13/06/2006)

Malaysia: Suhakam, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, is yet to decide whether to conduct a public inquiry into recent allegations of police brutality during peaceful protests. (12/06/2006)

Maldives: Ben Rogers, Deputy Chairman of the British Conservative Party's Human Rights Commission has highlighted concerns about police brutality in the Maldives in a report following a recent visit. (12/06/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: Police officers fatally shot three men they described as 'bandits' and a 'menace to society'. The officers involved were commended by the Commissioner of Police. Relatives of the men claimed police brutality. (10/06/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Graham has stated that an additional 37 officers were sent to the Police Complaints Authority to assist in a 2,300 case backlog. 6,000 complaints have been made against police officers since 1988, including complaints of police brutality, non-appearance at court, planting narcotics and tardiness. (09/06/2006)

Malaysia: The Prime Minister's waning personal power is impacting on the passage of police reform policy, including the promised Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. (07/06/2006)

Northern Ireland: The latest report from the Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland on the status of police reforms following the Patten Commission recommendations in 1998 has found that the police reform process is irreversible. The report also found that there is no issue that would stop Sinn Fein joining the Policing Board - Sinn Fein have refused to be part of the process until now on the basis that the reforms process has not gone far enough. (06/06/2006)

Malaysia: The police comments on the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, coupled with its recent violent approach to crowd control at a peaceful protest reveal double standards. (02/06/2006)

Malaysia: Prime Minister Badawi has said that police objections to setting up an Independent Complaints and Misconduct Commission do not reflect the feelings of the majority of police. (31/05/2006)

Canada: A monthly protest ride of Critical Mass Winnipeg cyclists has ended with claims by a cyclist that police used excessive force in an attempt to break up the peaceful demonstration. (28/05/2006)

Nigeria: The Inspector General of Police has announced the report of the 12 member Police Reform Committee, set up in January to look at police reform possibilities in Nigeria, has been completed and will be provided to the government. (25/05/2006)

Pakistan: More than 1,250 cases of police torture have been reported over the past 16 months, despite police reforms and creation of 'public safety commissions' at a district level. (25/05/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: Amnesty International's annual report has drawn attention to police violations of human rights, particularly highlighting unlawful killing, torture and ill treatment by the police. (25/05/2006)

Fiji: A couple have accused the police of brutally beating their son, rendering him unconscious, while he was detained in custody. (24/05/2006)

Malawi: Opposition leaders have claimed police attacked a group of their supporters who attended court to watch the Vice President's bail hearing. The Vice President was detained after being accused of plotting to kill the President. The police have denied the allegations. (24/05/2006)

United Kingdom: A criminologist has advised that the government's proposed merger of police forces will cost £500 million and could lead to the loss of 25,000 police jobs nationwide.

Bangladesh: A Dhaka court has dismissed a case of police brutality brought by a woman who alleged she was victimised by police during an opposition political protest. The Judge dismissed the case, saying the allegations brought against two deputy commissioners, a constable and 14 other unnamed officers were not proven. A primary investigation of a judicial inquiry commission had earlier found evidence of police torture. (22/05/2006)

India: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has announced a payment of 20,000 rupees and an offer of a government job to the family of a man who died after a motorbike accident caused by police. Officers had struck the dead man with a baton as he was not wearing a helmet, causing a fatal accident. (22/05/2006)

Australia: The New South Wales Premier has defended reforms to police procedures that grant the police more powers against charges that the reforms reduce police accountability and transparency. Under the changes, officers would be able to reach into a suspect's clothing to remove a weapon instead of asking them to produce it themselves and procedures requiring police to identify themselves would be relaxed. The government is also considering easing complaints procedures so they can be dealt with at a local station level. (21/05/2006)

India: A retired police officer has charged the police force with maintaining order, but not law. (21/05/2006)

Kenya: Debate surrounds the 11 billion Kenya shillings allocated to modernise the police communication system. Despite the allocation, the system has not improved, and police continue to use outdated analogue equipment. (21/05/2006)

Bangladesh: A Dhaka University academic has made a call for police reform, saying the police are politicised, corrupt, under resourced and under trained. (20/05/2006)

Maldives: Members of two youth organisations are collecting signatures for a petition calling for an end to government persecution and police brutality. In some cases, police have responded by attempting to remove the petition from the signers. (20/05/2006)

Pakistan: Omar Ayub Khan, Minister of State for Finance has indicated that strong economic growth means that Pakistan is ready to implement second stage political and social reforms, including police reforms. (11/05/2006)

Ireland: Kathleen O'Toole, Boston's high profile first woman police commissioner, has accepted a position as head of the new Garda Inspectorate in Ireland. Ms O'Toole served on the Patten Commission into policing in Northern Ireland, which led to the creation of a new police service in the country. (10/05/2006)

Bangladesh: Former Inspector General of Police Muhammad Nurul Huda believes that innovative policing is a necessary step towards police reform in Bangladesh. (6/05/2006)

Malaysia: The Bar Council has identified the establishment of an independent police watchdog as a crucial step for police reform. The Council has also released a booklet outlining the legal rights of a person arrested by police. (6/05/2006)

Canada: A police officer has supported calls for a public inquiry into the Toronto police force to look into systemic corruption. The officer claims senior police have covered up, refused to investigate or buried cases of alleged police brutality, public complaints and internal corruption. (5/05/2006)

Pakistan: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved a major programme of police reform, aimed to improve police behaviour and to make the police more people friendly. Measures outlined include centres for the registration of First Information Reports (the first step of police investigation of an alleged crime), recruitment, reconstruction of police stations, staff transfers and disciplinary action against officers who are failing perform satisfactorily. (5/05/2006)

India: Letika Saran becomes Chennai's first woman Police Commissioner. (21/04/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The opposition Movement for National Development Party has announced that national security would be its first policy priority if elected. The policy would include wide ranging police reforms, from uniforms to the way the Police Commissioner is appointed. (20/04/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: An opinion article calls for wide-ranging police reform over continued attempts to patch up the Trindidad and Tobago police service. (17/04/2006)

Kenya: In a eulogy for Mirugi Kariuki, a previous Minister for Internal Security, Assistant Commissioner for Information and Communications, Koigi Wa Wamwere, described Kariuki's police reform emphasis as "teaching police not to violate human rights the way they violated his". (16/04/2006)

Malaysia: A call to sign the Bar Council's online petition to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. (14/04/2006)

India: Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced that an Expert Committee drafting a new Police Act will submit its report to government by May this year at a Conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police. He said that the new Police Act aimed to increase transparency and accountability in the police. (13/04/2006)

United Kingdom: A group of 35 senior local councillors from across England and Wales have described police-force merger proposals, a cornerstone of the government's police reform plans, as "dangerous". (12/04/2006)

Bangladesh: Former Inspector General of Police Muhammad Nurul Huda believes that innovative policing is a necessary step towards police reform in Bangladesh. (6/05/2006)

Malaysia: The Bar Council has identified the establishment of an independent police watchdog as a crucial step for police reform. The Council has also released a booklet outlining the legal rights of a person arrested by police. (6/05/2006)

Canada: A police officer has supported calls for a public inquiry into the Toronto police force to look into systemic corruption. The officer claims senior police have covered up, refused to investigate or buried cases of alleged police brutality, public complaints and internal corruption. (5/05/2006)

Pakistan: Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has approved a major programme of police reform, aimed to improve police behaviour and to make the police more people friendly. Measures outlined include centres for the registration of First Information Reports (the first step of police investigation of an alleged crime), recruitment, reconstruction of police stations, staff transfers and disciplinary action against officers who are failing perform satisfactorily. (5/05/2006)

India: Letika Saran becomes Chennai's first woman Police Commissioner. (21/04/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The opposition Movement for National Development Party has announced that national security would be its first policy priority if elected. The policy would include wide ranging police reforms, from uniforms to the way the Police Commissioner is appointed. (20/02/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: An opinion article calls for wide-ranging police reform over continued attempts to patch up the Trindidad and Tobago police service. (17/04/2006)

Kenya: In a eulogy for Mirugi Kariuki, a previous Minister for Internal Security, Assistant Commissioner for Information and Communications, Koigi Wa Wamwere, described Kariuki's police reform emphasis as "teaching police not to violate human rights the way they violated his". (16/04/2006)

Malaysia: A call to sign the Bar Council's online petition to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. (14/05/2006)

India: Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced that an Expert Committee drafting a new Police Act will submit its report to government by May this year at a Conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police. He said that the new Police Act aimed to increase transparency and accountability in the police. (13/05/2006)

United Kingdom: A group of 35 senior local councillors from across England and Wales have described police-force merger proposals, a cornerstone of the government's police reform plans, as "dangerous". (12/05/2006)

Australia: The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is set to expand its presence in Asia, filling two new posts, one in India and the other in Bangladesh. This will bring the total number of AFP bureaus of Asia and the South Pacific to 19. (12/04/2006)

United Kingdom: Police forces continue to employ hundreds of officers who have been convicted of criminal offences. (11/04/2006)

New Zealand: Police Minister Annette King has rejected claims the attrition rate amongst police officers recruited from the UK is too high. (10/04/2006)

St Vincent and the Grenadines: The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour's 2005 report on human rights practices states that impunity within the police force has led to the use of excessive force, poor prison conditions, and overburdened court system, violence against women and the abuse of children. (10/04/2006)

South Africa: Five gunmen, suspected of being linked to a midnight raid on a police station last week, have been killed in a shootout with the police. (10/04/2006)

Kenya: The Kenya police force has launched a new police website aimed at encouraging Kenyans to communicate with the police and to provide information about the police forces. (09/04/2006)

Malaysia: The Bar Council of Malaysia has said that an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission is essential to support and encourage positive changes and reform in the police force. (07/04/2006)

Sri Lanka: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the brutal torture of a cab driver by Ketapola police training college trainees. (07/04/2006)

Australia: A state Police Commissioner is touring West Australia's north, examining chronic problems faced by local communities. (07/04/2006)

Gambia: The Deputy Inspector-General of Police has reaffirmed a police commitment to combat sexual exploitation of children, describing child sex abuse as one of the most under reported offences in developing countries. (07/04/2006)

South Africa: Three people were killed when an armed gang attacked a police station to steal firearms. (06/04/2006)

India: Naxals freed two police officials they had abducted in Orissa after keeping them hostage for 11 days. (05/04/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The National Security Minister, Senator Martin Joseph, has admitted that certain types of homicides now occurring in the country remain a real challenge for government but has vowed to put measures in place to deal with them. (05/04/2006)

New Zealand: Long-serving police officer Howard Broad has been appointed the new Police Commissioner. The appointment is for five years. (04/04/2006)

Pakistan: The Police and Revenue Departments are listed as the most corrupt government bodies by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). More than 50 percent of complaints registered with ACE are against the two departments. (04/04/2006)

Zambia: The police director of training, Dr Solomon Jere, has disclosed that plans to introduce the use of digital equipment in the fight against crime have reached an advanced stage. (04/04/2006)

India: A former Mumbai police constable has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for raping a teenage girl during the day while on duty. (03/04/2006)

Kenya: The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has stated the government violated the basic human rights of thousands of people recently evicted from their forest homes. (03/04/2006)

Pakistan: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi announced a programme to reorganise Punjab police service training system, which will include better infrastructure for police training centres and the introduction of new courses. (31/03/2006)

Philippines: Police officers have been accused of illegally detaining a political representative. (31/03/2006)

New Zealand: Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards and two police officers have been cleared of sex charges. Charges had been laid after a woman claimed that she was raped and sexually abused by the three police members in the mid 1980s. (31/03/2006)

United Kingdom: Britain's chief police officers have asked the government to abandon a key reform introduced in 1993. Forces were set a 2009 deadline to become racially representative of the communities they serve, by boosting the numbers of ethnic minority officers. But police say the target is unrealistic and cannot be met. (31/03/2006)

Bangladesh: Riot police in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka have fired tear gas at thousands of stone-throwing opposition protesters who were attempting to march on government headquarters. (30/03/2006)

Canada: A regional council plans to build a memorial site honoring police and other law enforcement officers killed while on duty. (30/03/2006)

Canada: Following the release of an Amnesty International report critical of police stun gun use, 17 officers were issued stun guns that can incapacitate a person. (30/03/2006)

India: The United Nations praises the decision to provide a 125-member all female police unit for peacekeeping. (30/03/2006)

India: At least one fisherman was killed in police firing following a clash between fishermen in Gangavaram and police. The fishermen were protesting for a higher compensation for making way for a modern port. (28/03/2006)

Guyana: 34 people have begun training as neighbourhood police at the University of Guyana. The neighbourhood policing project has been set up to promote safe neighbourhoods, to help reduce crime and develop better relations between the communities, the police force and the general society. (28/03/2006)

Malaysia: An Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, recommended by the 2004 Royal Commission into policing, has not yet been established.

South Africa: According to an Institute of Security Studies researcher, crime rates are dropping, in part due to better policing. (28/03/2006)

United Kingdom: A new police station has opened in the Bristol International Airport as part of a package of policing improvements linked with the airport's expansion plans. (28/03/2006)

United Kingdom: Hundreds of high-level public service chiefs gathered at a conference in Glasgow to explore plans to combat violence across Scotland. (27/03/2006)

Malaysia: Police used batons and water cannons to disperse hundreds of people in Kuala Lumpur protesting against rising fuel prices. Several protesters were seen being beaten and kicked by police before being handcuffed and arrested. (27/03/2006)

Cyprus: A police officer was arrested and remanded in custody for eights days on suspicion of beating up a woman and threatening to kill her after she refused to sleep with customers of a nightclub he owned. The force had to launch a number of investigations against officers committing various offences during the last year. (26/03/2006)

Australia: Full-time policing has begun in a central desert community in Western Australia and is already showing the first positive impacts. (24/03/2006)

Barbados: In its annual report on human rights, the US State Department characterised the abuse of women and children in Barbados as "significant social problems", but went on to say that the police victims support unit, and public and private counseling services, are helping victims of domestic violence, rape and child abuse. (23/03/2006)

Pakistan: Human rights violations are continuing in police stations in Islamabad despite the appointment of human rights officers to check the mistreatment of the accused during investigations.

Cayman Islands: Police and officers from the RCIP Family Support Unit are urging victims of domestic abuse not to suffer in silence. (22/03/2006)

Papua New Guinea: Australian police officers will be accepted back into the country, after the withdrawal last year of 150 police officers. The police left after their legal immunity was ruled invalid by the PNG Supreme Court. The police are used in an advisory capacity. (22/03/2006)

United Kingdom: Police officers in Hull have suspended investigation of less serious crime. Officers have prioritised more serious offences in an effort to clear a backlog of 3,500 cases and meet Home Office targets before the end of the month. (22/03/2006)

Maldives: The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) will hold a peaceful demonstration on 30 March calling on the police and government to show greater respect for women. The protest comes after a series of abusive arrests of women by Maldives Police Service. (19/03/2006)

Cyprus: A US government human rights report highlights police abuse. (17/03/2006)

Bangladesh: The European Union is working with the Bangladesh government to reduce corruption through a number of programmes, including police reform. (16/03/2006)

Canada: Police have asked community leaders in Calgary for assistance in the fight against gang violence. (16/03/2006)

India: Police broke up public protests related to an alleged sexual assault during traditional celebrations to mark Holi. Officers open fired on the group of protestors in an effort to assert control. Four people were injured and seventy injured. (16/03/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The current Prime Minister has agreed with the former Prime Minister that a proposal for Parliament to approve nominees to a Police Service Commission is flawed. However, the government has accepted the proposal as part of a police reform Bill in a compromise to speed passage of the legislation. (16/03/2006)

Uganda: Opposition members have accused the police of partisan behaviour and violence against government critics. (16/03/2006)

United Kingdom: Mounted police are sent into a Glasgow suburb hit by teenage gang violence. (16/03/2006)

Botswana: A senior police leader commented on the difficulties faced when dealing with violence against women, and encouraged women to speak out, as part of International Women's Day commemorations. (9/03/2006)

Malawi: Police reforms bill included in last parliamentary sitting. (09/03/2006)

Canada: Around 1,000 mourners gathered for a tribute to police horse Brigadier, who died in the line of duty on February 24. (07/03/ 2006)

United Kingdom: The Metropolitan Police are refusing to hand over sensitive documents relating to the involvement of the Police Commissioner in the July 2005 shooting of a Brazilian man on the London Underground to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The Complaints Commission has the power to demand "all such information and documents" it considers necessary to conduct an investigation. The police claim the files are subject to legal professional privilege. (06/03/2006)

Nigeria: The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Police Reform has blamed the low levels of police morale and the decay of police infrastructure on long term government neglect of the police. (06/03/2006)

Malaysia: Police have come up with new body search guidelines in response to recommendations made by recent inquiries into the police. (04/03/2006)

United Kingdom: Government plans to merge the 43 police forces across the United Kingdom, to create 33 large forces, will go ahead in the face of opposition. (03/03/2006)

Malaysia: Malaysia's most senior police officer has told district police chiefs that they should leave the police service if they do not understand the concept of human rights. (03/03/2006)

Nigeria: Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Nasir el Rufai, has suggested ways to reform the police force. The suggestions include take home pay, improved communication equipment and vehicles and the establishment of forensic laboratories. (28/02/2006)

Nigeria: Police extraction of confessions from suspects will be legitimised under new anti-terror legislation. (28/02/2006)

Bangladesh: Construction of five model police stations, funded by both the United Nations and the British Department for International Development, is set to begin in April. Eventually, eleven model stations will be completed. They are aimed at demonstrating how the police can meet the needs of the community. (24/02/2006)

Jamaica: A police officer has been found guilty of murdering a man while on duty. The police officer claimed he was returning fire, and pleaded an act of self defence, but investigations found no gunpowder residue on the victim's clothes. A discovery of gunpowder residue would have been consistent with the victim firing a gun. (23/02/2006)

Nigeria: Junior police ranks threaten to strike, in the face of government warnings that striking police would face instant dismissal. (19/02/2006)

United Kingdom: The Association of Chiefs of Police supports a restructuring of the British police service. (17/02/2006)

United Kingdom: Government legislation to amalgamate police forces has been passed. The opposition claims the mergers are expensive and will lessen accountability. (07/02/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The Chamber of Industry and Commerce does not support opposition to the government police reform bill, which allows the President to veto appointments to senior police ranks. (03/02/2006)

Nigeria: An editorial discussion of the Police Reforms Committee raises concerns that the Committee is not sufficiently independent of people involved with issues that police reform should address. The article also raises the importance of political impartiality by the police. (29/01/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: Opposition leader Basdeo Panday stated that he is not likely to allow a Presidential veto over the selection of a Police Commissioner in proposed legislation to reform the police. (28/01/2006)

Northern Ireland: A senior US government official, fresh from talks with major Northern Ireland political parties, told a group of police training graduates that there will soon be unanimous political support for the police reforms process in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein has not supported the replacement of the Royal Ulster Constabulary with the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the basis that reforms are yet to go far enough. (27/01/2006)

United Kingdom: Debate continues over police reforms as Prime Minister Tony Blair suggests strategic inter-regional police partnerships in the face of opposition to the merging of stations to create regional super forces. (26/01/2006)

Malaysia: An independent body will be set up to look into complaints against police in the wake of reports that police detainees were forced to squat naked while in custody and two independent inquiries into the police. The complaints commission was recommended by both the inquiry into the police, and an inquiry into the reports of forced squatting. (25/01/2006)

Nigeria: Police officers consider striking in protest against poor working conditions, the high risk nature of the job and politically motivated personnel transfers. (22/01/2006)

Nigeria: Alhaji Musa Abdulkadir, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Training and Logistics) told police to respect their oaths of service, and recommended that any police officer found to have committed an act contrary to their oath, such as indiscipline or abandoning of duties, be dismissed. A Presidential Committee on Police Reforms is currently sitting in Nigeria, and will produce a report for government within 3 months. (20/01/2006)

United Kingdom: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has delivered a report into the police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes to the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether to bring charges against the police officers involved. The British Home Secretary has also been provided with a copy of the report, because of the exceptional and grave circumstances surrounding the shooting. Jean Charles' family has been denied access to the report. (20/01/2006)

India: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that the Indian government does not interfere with the operations of the Central Bureau of Investigation, and that all politicians should adopt a zero tolerance policy towards corruption. Dr Singh was speaking at the inauguration of a new CBI headquarters. (18/01/2006)

Mauritius: A suspect in a murder case died in police custody while under the responsibility of members of the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT). (17/01/2006)

Canada: A city committee has ruled against a proposal to compel Winnipeg Police officers wear name tags. It was argued that name tags would improve police accountability. However, the proposal was not passed as the committee ruled that name tags would jeopardise officer safety. (16/01/2006)

United Kingdom: Opposition leader David Cameron has announced his police reform programme, stating that he will reform pay and conditions for greater flexibility, and make it easier to dismiss underperforming officers. (16/01/2006)

Pakistan: A Senior Superintendent of Police emphasized that contact between junior police officials and people in the community should be developed in order to improve confidence in the police. This would then lead to a decrease in crime and improved police performance. (16/01/2006)

South Africa: A man sued the Police Commission after being detained on raped charges. The lawsuit alleges cruel and inhumane treatment while in custody. (16/01/2006)

Pakistan: Second generation economic reforms, focussed on improving governance and transparency, will include police reform. (15/01/2006)

Maldives: A journalist describes police as "wild animals" after a violent attack on civilians. (14/01/2006)

Swaziland: Police have arrested 16 suspects on suspicion of links to bombings in 2005. Critics have charged the arrests as politically motivated and aimed at thwarting basic political freedoms in the country. (12/01/2006)

Sri Lanka: The Asian Human Rights Commission has linked drug crime to police corruption. (03/01/2006)

United Kingdom: The president of the Association of Police Officers, Christopher Fox, has dedicated his recent knighthood to police staff across the country, stating that it is important to recognise the contribution of operational police employees. (02/01/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago: The opposition party has restated that it will not support the current police reforms bills until amendments are made to the process by which the Commissioner of Police is selected and the veto power of the Prime Minister with relation to the termination of the Commissioner. (01/01/2006)

Kenya: An opinion article has criticised the lack of accountability in the Kenyan police and government. (31/12/2005)

India: A district police office has begun publishing a blog to aid transparency and help it disseminate information to the community. The blog is at www.spdk.blogspot.com. (28/12/2005)

Pakistan: The Chief Minister of Punjab stated during National Police Academy training that fundamental changes in training need to take place to achieve successful police reform. (25/12/2005)

Botswana: The head of the public relations unit of the police service has refuted claims by Zimbabweans living in Botswana that they are suffering at the hands of the police, stating that ninety nine per cent of police officers respect the rule of law. (22/12/2005)

Swaziland: Police have arrested 12 people on suspicion of firebomb attacks targeting courthouses, police officers and government officials. The 12 suspects are members of a banned pro-democracy group, the People's United Democratic Front, who oppose the absolute monarchy. The suspects deny that the group use violent methods. (20/12/2005)

United Kingdom: The government's plan to merge the 43 police services in England and Wales to as few as 12 is facing significant opposition from chief constables and local authorities. (18/12/2005)

Trinidad and Tobago: Legislation just passed removes the possibility of bail for suspects arrested on suspicion of kidnapping. (17/12/2005)

Kenya: The Police Commissioner has suspended and nullified a police recruitment drive on the basis of widespread corruption. (16/12/2005)

South Africa and Uganda: Uganda and South Africa signed an Agreement on Police Cooperation yesterday, December 14 2005. The agreement will 'ensure cooperation' between the nation's respective police services, enable the exchange of views and create information sharing possibilities. (15/12/2005)

United Kingdom: The British police, considered to be one of the world's leading police services, have been becoming increasingly unpopular on their home soil. Conservative politicians have referred to the police as the 'last great unreformed public service', and have called for reform, and a new focus on local, democratic policing. (14/12/2005)

Bangladesh: Concerns have been raised about the number of suspects dying while in the custody of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite law enforcement unit set up in 2004 to assist an inadequate police force. (13/12/2005)

Australia: New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma announces new powers for the police, in light of recent race-related riots in the state. The new powers include the ability to order bars to shut and to erect roadblocks to seal off particular areas. New South Wales has recently experienced increased racial tension and violence between groups of white men and people of Middle Eastern or Lebanese appearance. (13/12/2005)

Cameroon: Last Friday, 9 December 2005, police officials, the Gendarmerie and the United Nations Sub Regional Office for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa met for a mini-symposium on torture. The symposium covered issues of police and torture. (12/12/2005)

India: Two previous Prime Ministers, V P Singh and I K Gujral, have added their support to the police reforms process. The Union Home Ministry put together a committee earlier this year to draft a proposed replacement for the current Police Act, which has been in place since 1861. (10/12/2005)

United Kingdom: The House of Lords has ruled that evidence obtained through torture is inadmissible in any proceedings before United Kingdom courts. Interights stated that "the judgment sends a clear signal that the use of torture is universally forbidden under all circumstances, and that states have positive duties to give effect to that prohibition."(08/12/2005)

PNG: Police mobile squads have been disbanded, pending results of investigation into a takeover of PNG's police college last month. Armed officers demanding special allowances promised to them for providing security for major events staged in Port Moresby. Mobile squad officers set up road blocks, patrolled the college with semi-automatic weapons and reportedly threatened to take action against civilians in the city if their demands were not met. The action was abandoned when cheques were provided for the disputed amount. (02/12/2005)

PNG: The Pacific Magazine reports that concerns about police violations of human rights that cost the Papua New Guinea Government millions of kina in lawsuits each year are not unique to PNG and refers to the launch of CHRI's 2005 CHOGM Report on police accountability, and statements from the Commonwealth Human Rights Forum calling for Commonwealth members to ensure that human rights are not breached in the name of national security. (28/11/2005)

Malaysia: Malaysian government and opposition politicians have called for the country's deputy police chief to quit. Musa Hassan defended a police officer who was filmed forcing a female detainee to strip naked and squat repeatedly while holding both ears. Mr Musa, the country's deputy inspector general of police, said the practice was standard procedure. An independent inquiry held earlier this year described such police strip search practices as a gross infringement of human rights. (27/11/2005)

South Africa: South African Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula admits that Zimbabwean refugees and asylum seekers are frequently mistreated by the police. (23/11/2005)

Uganda: There are concerns in Uganda that the police force has become increasingly militarised and politicised, following infiltration by members of the armed forces. The concerns follow the arrest of opposition leader Dr Bisegye on November 14 (see below), and the subsequent storming of the High Court by an armed group, calling for the rearrest of 14 people who were arrested on treason charges and then bailed. The report notes that the armed group were equipped with weapons issued to the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB). Opposition leaders claim that the army is being recruited into the police to assist the government to rig the next election, due in 2006. (23/11/2005)

Malta: Speaking at the launch of CHRI's 2005 CHOGM Report on Police Accountability, the Minister for Home Affairs in Malta said he was aware there was an idea of formulating a road-map for the future of police reform in the Commonwealth. At the same launch, Sam Okudezeto, the chairman of CHRI's international advisory committee, noted that some Commonwealth countries were "an excellent example" of how accountability has been achieved. He also noted that there is also a stubborn reluctance in some jurisdictions to move away from regime to democratic policing. (23/11/2005)

Caribbean: CHRI to launch report on police accountability. (23/11/2005)

Nigeria: Army Chief calls for police reforms at a seminar titled Prevention of Violating of Human Rights, particularly emphasising the importance of individual police officer accountability. (22/11/2005)

Nigeria: Former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun was sentenced by a Federal High Court to a six months imprisonment for concealing information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his alleged business concerns and interests in some companies amounting to over N17.7 billion. Chairman and Chief Executive of EFCC Mallam Nuhu Ribadu welcomed it as a positive development in the fight against corruption. (22/11/2005)

Zambia: The Parliamentary Committee of Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters stated that Zambia's police service is corrupt. Zambia's Home Affairs Minister admitted that the government was aware of the problems of corruption in the police service. (19/11/2005)

United Kingdom: Ferdinand Mount considers the reform directions of the UK police, highlighting the importance of police service transparency and community engagement with the police. (18/11/2005)

Uganda: Police arrested opposition leader Dr Kizza Bisegye on charges of treason, claiming his involvement with rebel group Lord's Resistance Army. Dr Bisegye's wife, Winnie Byanyima, has claimed that the arrest was politically motivated, and aimed at removing Dr Bisegye as a candidate for upcoming elections. (14/11/2005)

Trinidad & Tobago: Health Minister John Rahael demands opposition support for a series of police reform bills. (10/11/2005)

United Kingdom: The opposition Conservative party introduces police reform into its law and order programme. (02/11/2005)

Trinidad & Tobago: Opinion writer William Lucie-Smith calls for police reform and states that Trinidad and Tobago has lost confidence in a police service that is brutal, untrustworthy, unethical and involved in the commission of crime. (30/10/2005)

Nigeria: A letter to the Editor calls for police reform. (28/10/2005)

Papua New Guinea: Human Rights Watch has released a report on policing and children in Papua New Guinea, titled Making Their Own Rules: Police Beatings, Rape, and Torture of Children in Papua New Guinea. The report details children being shot, knifed, kicked and beaten by gun butts, iron bars, wooden batons, fists, rubber hoses and chairs. The report includes eyewitness accounts of gang rapes in police stations, vehicles, barracks and other locations. Zama Coursen-Neff, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch, said, "Extreme physical violence is business as usual for the Papua New Guinea police." Further information is here, or go straight to the report. (01/09/2005)

Pakistan : The Punjab has forwarded amendments to the Police Order 2002, which the federal government and its National Reconstruction Bureau are in the midst of fine-tuning in consultation with the provinces. The federal government wants to implement the new law in full by August 2004. Primarily, the provincial government contends that the public safety commissions proposed in the new law should be replaced by powerful police complaints authorities (PCAs) at provincial and district levels, arguing that these complaints authorities provide a single net to watch and curb police excesses. For details from Pakistan's Dawn newspaper, click here. (12/04/04)

Jamaica : In its most recent edition, the Sunday Observer carried a piece on dubious transfers of highly ranked, experienced officers to the little known Inspection Branch, described as the "virtual graveyard of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)". Reportedly, it is an "open secret" that mostly high-ranking officers under investigation for alleged corruption end up at the Inspection Branch. Noted criminologist Anthony Harriet argues there needs to be a review of the disciplinary rules adopted at Independence to give them more teeth and to reduce arbitrary transfers. To read the Observer's account, click here. (11/04/04)

Kenya :

• The new police leadership unveiled its masterplan to revamp the police force over the weekend. The plan calls for a number of changes in the functioning of the force, including enhanced beat policing, closer supervision, better training and equipment, and two new accountability bodies to be established. Work on this plan began under Commissioner Nyaseda, now its speedy implementation has been thrust on Brigadier Muhammed Hussein Ali, Kenya's new police chief. For details from Kenya's The Nation newspaper, click here. (11/04/04)
  
• In one fell swoop, President Kibaki of Kenya dismissed Police Commissioner Edwin Nyaseda and replaced him with a military brigadier. The East African Standard reports that this is the first time in post-independent Kenya that a police chief has been from outside the force. The Government line is that these changes are "aimed at injecting new blood" into the police, particularly to attend to allegations of rising crime. The announcement came as a complete surprise to Commissioner Nyaseda. (06/04/04)

Australia : Amidst increasing allegations of serious corruption in the Victoria police, Victoria Premier Steve Bracks has pledged to boost the powers and funding of the state ombudsman to identify and prosecute corrupt officers. Both Mr. Bracks and Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon rejected calls for a royal commission, arguing that expanded powers for the ombudsman will be able to effectively root out corruption within the ranks. For details, click here. (08/04/04)

United Kingdom :

• Chief Inspector Karin Mulligan, one of the highest-ranking black women police officers in Britain, has accused the Greater Manchester police of sex and race discrimination. She is taking the chief constable to an employment tribunal, and her case is due to begin in October. To read the Guardian's report, click here. (02/04/04)
  
• The Police Complaints Authority has been disbanded and a new body to handle complaints against the police has been launched. Unlike the former PCA, the new Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has its own team of investigators to examine the most serious complaints. Interestingly, the IPCC is led by two key civil society figures, the former head of the Refugee Council is the chair and his deputy used to run civil rights group Liberty. The chair has pledged the IPCC will be "fiercely independent". For further details, click here. (01/04/04)

Uganda :

• The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) recently reported that of the 888 torture complaints received by the Commission since the year 2000, 541 of those complaints have been lodged against the police force. In response to this very serious allegation, the UHRC has received police assurance that human rights violations committed by police officers will not be tolerated any longer. For details, click here. (17/03/04)

• Parliament has swung into action following allegations by the opposition Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) that thugs, organised by the ruling party, roughed up several of its members during a meeting. At the time, the police did not intervene. The Ugandan Parliament has moved to set up a special committee to investigate the beating of members of the Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO). This move has come after PAFO chairman Augustine Ruzindana said energy state minister Daudi Migereko and Moses Kizige (Bugabula North) “were deeply involved in making arrangements for thugs to disrupt the workshop”. Migereko and Kizige denied, before Parliament, any involvement in the violence. To read the report of Uganda’s New Vision paper, click here. (11/03/04)

Australia :

• In the aftershock of the Madrid bombings, Australian police chiefs will soon be meeting to advocate for tougher anti-terrorism laws. Police commissioners from Victoria and New South Wales are leading the charge in calling for greater police power to detain terrorist suspects, and to involve private security guards in intelligence gathering efforts. To read the transcript of an interview with New South Wales Commissioner Ken Moroney in which he pushes for wider anti-terrorism laws, click here. (15/03/04)

• Victoria's police force is coming under fire after one of the state's most experienced drug detectives was ordered to stand trial for alleged drug trafficking and making threats to kill fellow police officers. Moreover, at least ten detectives have also been charged with drug offences and numerous others are under investigation. Calls for a public enquiry into police corruption, in the form of a royal commission, are intensifying. The police command and state government claim there is no need for a royal commission. For further details, click here. (10/03/04)

Sri Lanka :

• Transparency International Sri Lanka applauds Sri Lanka's National Police Commission for issuing specific guidelines to make police officers involved in election activities impartial and effective. These guidelines have been issued on the heels of allegations of partisan behaviour from certain officers, accused of turning a blind eye to violence propagated by powerful political figures. In fact, the National Election Monitoring and Evaluation Centre (NEMEC), an independent body established to ensure free and fair elections, has reported that there is a huge number of complaints from around the country of police inaction. The NEMEC spokesman stated that in certain cases, the police refuse to even take down the complaints from the public. To read the two reports, please click here : NPC & Election monitoring (15/03/04)

• The Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) has released its second report on police torture in Sri Lanka. Entitled "Endemic torture and the collapse of policing in Sri Lanka" the report describes 31 recent cases of torture which occurred in 29 police stations across the country. The report discusses the collapse of institutional mechanisms leading to routine torture by the police, and it also recommends a police complaints procedure for the consideration of Sri Lanka's National Police Commission. The ALRC has submitted the report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee jointly with the World Organisation Against Torture. To access the full text of the report, please click here. (March 2004)

Papua New Guinea : Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer is scheduled to meet his PNG counterpart Sir Rabbie Namaliu to discuss the controversy that has arisen after PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare refused to grant immunity from PNG civil law to Australian police and officials deployed to the country under the Enhanced Cooperation Program (ECP). The scenario is particularly charged, as Australia was the former coloniser of PNG. Senator Bob Brown of Australia's Greens Party firmly supports Prime Minister Somare's decision, pointing to the immense legal complexities involved in trying potential civil crimes in courts so far removed from the scene of the crimes allegedly committed. Click here for the report of PNG's Post-Courier. (15/03/04)

Solomon Islands : The Royal Solomon Islands Police Service has created a new inspection unit vested with various oversight duties, regarding staff discipline and work performance specifically. The unit will deal only with police disciplinary issues and cases, not criminal matters. In an effort to make the oversight function as sweeping as possible, members of the unit will periodically visit all provincial police headquarters to check on performance. For further details, click here. (15/03/04)

Fiji : Andrew Hughes, Fiji's police commissioner, has announced the formation of a taskforce to investigate claims that senior police were involved in the May 2000 coup, led by George Speight. Apparently, twenty officers who allegedly helped the coup leaders have already been identified. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, disciplinary and criminal charges may be imposed. Click here to find out more. (12/03/04)

Nigeria : A strategic plan for Nigeria's Police Service Commission (PSC) is coming up for discussion this month. The strategic plan was developed with the Justice Initiative project with the aim of making Nigeria's police force more accountable and democratic in its functioning. Visit the Justice Initiative's website for further details of the PSC's strategic plan (online here). (March 2004)

Australia : A royal commission concluded today, after hearings spanning two years, that the West Australian police service has been contaminated by endemic corruption for the past 20 years. Commissioner Geoffrey Kennedy derided the West Australian force as the nation's poorest performer, citing poor leadership and an absence of internal scrutiny as the cause of corrupt behaviour ranging from verballing witnesses, perjury, forgery and stealing. The State Government has pledged to work on a total transformation of the force. Many of the commission's recommendations are based on the findings of the Wood Royal Commission of 1997 of New South Wales, which also investigated police corruption. To read details, click here . (03/03/04)
To access the final report which was tabled in Parliament today 04/03/04, along with the interim report, click here to visit the Royal Commission's website.

Papua New Guinea :

Currently, a serious concern in the long-standing law and order problems of PNG is the explosive potential for widespread ethnic conflict, simmering daily due to government apathy. Rapid urbanisation, fuelled by the steady movement of people particularly Highlanders to the capital Port Moresby, is leading to inter-tribal violence in the congested urban centre. Community members report that the police "never come" in the event of a violent outbreak, compelling the formation of armed and dangerous vigilante groups called raskol gangs. The police respond by pointing to the fact that there has been no new recruitment in the last five years due to an acute shortage of funds. Their numbers will rise once Australia sends in about 300 personnel, largely police officers but also lawyers, accountants and civil servants. This comes as the next big operation of the "cooperative intervention" policy the Australian federal government is pursuing in the region. To read an article from the region, click here (03/03/04)

Sri Lanka : The hopes of a free and fair election have been dashed in Hanguranketha, with the run up to the election marked by "political goon squads" on the rampage and the police turning a blind eye. Opponents of the politically dominant UNF party have not been allowed to campaign, and more urgently, activists of the SLFP have been brutally attacked, tortured and maimed. Despite complaints lodged by the victims, with some complaining directly to the IGP, neither the police nor the Police Commission has taken any action to apprehend the perpetrators. To read the report of a leading Sri Lankan daily, please click here (03/03/04)

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) : The rebel uprising in Haiti has sparked security concerns in the region that will be addressed at a meeting in Jamaica, convened on March 3rd, of CARICOM security ministers. Details of the agenda have not been publicised, though media reports indicate that one area of focus will be the movement of narcotics between the Caribbean and Britain, a problem that has already been tackled by both regions.

Bangladesh : The police raided the headquarters of the main opposition party, the Awami League (AL), beat its leaders and activists at will and dragged away about 150 AL activists in their vans. Police also blocked the motorcade of Leader of the Opposition and AL head Sheikh Hasina at four points on her way to the AL headquarters, causing even more chaos and confusion. The police justify their brutal action after Havildar Nur Mohammad was injured by a bomb which the police claim was hurled at them by AL activists, near the AL central office. Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury has issued a sharp warning to the opposition, asserting that the government will not tolerate attacks on law enforcers. On the other side, the recuperating havildar has said that he does not know where the bomb came from. Journalists on the scene refute the police line that a bag allegedly full of explosives was recovered from the AL office. To read the report of The Daily Star from Dhaka, click here (02/03/04)

United Kingdom : Scotland Yard has confirmed that Detective Chief Inspector Terry Devoil, head of the Metropolitan police force's Diversity Training Initiative, has been accused of racist behaviour and assigned new duties pending an investigation into the claims. An officer for more than 30 years, Devoil has led the training of officers in race relations and community awareness since 1999 (in fact the training programme was launched in response to the Macpherson Inquiry), supervising the training of around 1500 officers each month. News of the allegations comes at a sensitive time for the Met as it is in the midst of a major inquiry into whether discrimination has led to Asian and black officers being disciplined and investigated to a greater degree. To read a detailed report, click here (29/02/04)

The latest Home Office figures for police, published today, show that the number of police officers serving in England and Wales has shot up to its highest level since records began in 1921. This all time high is 138,155 with police numbers rising at the rate of 6000 every year, fuelled by increased government funding geared specifically to this end. Some senior police officers have criticised this move by arguing that police priorities are distorted in the race for more "bodies". Notably, one element of the rise in police strength is the recruitment of 3,243 community support officers who are working in 38 police forces. For further details, please click here (02/03/04)

Malaysia : The foundation of reform, laid with the promulgation of the royal commission on the police force in December, suffered a severe setback over the weekend. About 200 people participated in a public demonstration calling for an end to police corruption and brutality, very much in the spirit of the newly formed royal commission. Seen by the participants as an entirely unexpected move, the police unleashed water cannons containing chemical irritants on the demonstrators, to disperse what they saw as an illegal protest. No one was injured and the police eventually released the 17 individuals they had arrested on bail. The organisers of the demonstration accused the police of high-handedness. To read the BBC's account, click here (29/02/04)

New Report by Amnesty International : The latest report written by Amnesty International for the Control Arms Campaign is also the first in a series of short thematic reports to be produced for Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) during the campaign.
Guns and Policing: Standards to prevent misuse focuses on what governments should be doing to control the use of guns by their police forces. Click here for more details.

Kenya :

• The latest Bribery Index for Kenya released by Transparency International reveals that the police force remains the most corrupt institution in Kenya, as police are still the most frequently bribed public officials. But on the bright side, the Kenya Bribery Index notes that the number of corrupt incidents has dropped by 77% in the force compared to 2002. Read the BBC's account for details.
  Click here for a link to the Transparency International Report
  

• In the latest developments, the three Administration police officers involved in the fatal shooting of a young student on Monday morning will face murder charges, a move spearheaded by the police command itself. The local police boss, Mr. Julius Mwakule, reported that 27 bullets were fired during the incident. Please click here for more details. (25/02/04)

• As a 15 year old boy was fleeing from riots that broke out at his secondary school, he was shot dead by an Administration Policeman (AP). The local police boss reported that three constables have been arrested for the shooting. (24/02/04)

Australia: Last week, the Sydney inner city suburb of Redfern collapsed into violent riots following the death of an Aboriginal teenager who community members believe died as a result of being chased by the police. The police have consistently denied this claim. Most in the police camp point to the larger issue of lack of resources for officers in the area and have entered discussions about the future of patrols in Redfern's troubled Block area, including the possibility of banning patrols entirely. The popularity of the New South Wales government has taken a deep plunge. To read the transcript from The World Today's interview with the Redfern Police Association's representative and NSW Premier Bob Carr, please click here (23/02/04)

Jamaica: The Sunday Observer, the Sunday edition of the national daily the Jamaica Observer, chronicled the dire state of police stations all along Jamaica's east and west coasts. Visiting about 20 police stations on both coasts, it was found that leaking roofs, dim lighting, grimy bathrooms, uncontrolled sewage, and an abundance of rats and cockroaches made up the work environment for most police officers. The same report captured the view of Police Federation chairman, Sergeant David White, in his estimate that 60 of the island's 171 police stations are in urgent need of repairs or complete renovation. He went on to say that the badly needed repairs will allow the police to offer professional services. Click here for the account by the Sunday Observer. (23/02/04)

Malaysia: On the second day of the New Year, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the establishment of a Royal Commission on the Police Force, broadly tasked with modernising the police and restoring its credibility with the public. Abdullah seeks to transform the image and functioning of the police, severely tainted in the public eye due to corruption cases involving police officials and the alleged use of excessive force. To do this, the royal commission will find ways to modernise police operations, eliminate bureaucracy, and mould a force committed to upholding human rights when discharging their duties. The commission has already met twice with the police and plan one more meeting before embarking on further action. For a general account of the commission, click here

Papua New Guinea: Internal Security Minister Bire Kimisopa recently made public plans to review the pay and accommodation provided to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary rank and file, as one component of a larger programme of police reforms. He stated that "atrocious" living conditions make it impossible for many within the constabulary rank and file to maintain high morale. For a more detailed account, click here