Q & A

Interview: Police has lost credibility– Brigadier General Misheck Chirwa

 

Recently, the media has been awash with reports of Malawi police officers linked to crime. More than 30 police officers nationwide had been arrested for taking part in crime as of April this year. The figure represents at least two officers every month. According to Overseas Security Advisory Council (Osac) Malawi 2014 report, there was an increase in mob justice resulting in fatalities. “These are often a result of public distrust and lack of confidence in the ability of Malawi Police Services [MPS] to carry out their duties,” it reads in part. I talked to head of department at the Centre for Security Studies at Mzuzu University brigadier general Misheck Chirwa (retired) who is also chairperson of the Southern African Defence and Security Management Network (Sadsem) on police involvement in crime.

Q: There is a popular view that there is security lapse in the country. Do you share the same sentiments?

A: It is very difficult for me to say whether there is security lapse or not because I do not have evidence. There is need to do research and compare data for this year to that of last year, for example. However, I feel those saying that have been   influenced by media reports to some extent.

 

Q: How do you feel when you hear about police involvement in criminal activities?

A: When you go for police training or military training, they emphasise discipline and integrity. I think the criminal activities are just the symptoms, not problems. I am looking a little bit deeper on why should they be involved in crime. Firstly, it might be that the training is insufficient. Secondly, perhaps it is because of poor salaries and thirdly, it might be that their equipment is not properly taken care of. How do they get the weapons out for robbery? So these are just symptoms. You cannot put somebody on the road as a traffic officer without a vehicle. What is the meaning of traffic officer? How are they going to chase, for example, robbers cruising past them?

 

Q: What do you think is the problem then?

 

A: We need to do research and come up with empirical evidence on why some police officers are involved in crime. Let us go deeper. Apart from that, in the past we used to vet every person going into the security institutions. I doubt if this is happening now. It is possible that the people we are employing are criminals.

 

Q: There was a bank robbery at Standard Bank-Mzuzu Branch where a police officer is one of the suspects? Was it a shocker to you?

 

A: Yes, I was surprised for someone meant to protect people to be involved in such a crime.

 

Q:What do we lose out as a State and what do they lose as police?

 

A: Police has lost credibility [though it is not every police officer taking part in crime, actually they are just a few individuals involved]. People have lost trust in them because they are breaking the laws which they are supposed to enforce. For the State, I should say, without protection there is no development; hence, the best thing is to start by protecting the people, then development will come.

 

Q: Do you think people are justified in doing mob justice?

 

A:No. Mob justice is totally wrong whatever the case. You cannot take the law into your hands because of police involvement in criminal activities.

 

Q: Can you give an analysis of why police are being involved in crime?

 

A: Firstly, you have to check on political thinking of the country on security institutions. How do they help them? Secondly, you look at the culture of the organisation. Remember we have come from one-party system to multiparty. Have the security institutions changed from the behaviour they had in the time of one-party system? Hence, when changing from dictatorship to multiparty, we should have taken them aboard. Did we do that? I don’t know if we have done that. How do the police officers behave? Are they involved in criminal activities; are they harsh or kind to the people? These questions have to be looked at because during the one-party regime, the police was so suppressive to the people. They therefore need new training starting from the leaders. And does government understand what the security institutions require to operate smoothly?

 

Q:  Some quarters say poor salaries in the service are a contributing factor. Do you share the same sentiments?

 

A: Definitely. It is one of the reasons. When I was in the military, we were not given allowances when working outside our duty station. When you come into service, you offer service to protect and serve your country. I would rather prefer to give police officers reasonable salaries to cater for their daily needs.

 

Q: Any other comment?

 

A: Parliamentarians should look at security issues wholesomely and see where we have gone wrong.

 

 

 

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