Feudal Forces: Democratic Nations - Police Accountability in

FEUDAL FORCES: DEMOCRATIC NATIONSDemocratic policing is policing based on standards and values derived from democraticprinciples and is a widely accepted approach to contemporary policing. Democratic policingis the modern alternative to regime style policing carried over from colonial days, and isreflected in both the way the police is set up and the way they work. Democratic policing isa flexible model that can be adapted to different systems, organisational structures andpolicing strategies in different jurisdictions. Accountability – to the law, to democraticgovernment and to the community – is at the heart of democratic policing.What does your police look like?Regime policeAnswer predominantly to the regime inpower and its bureaucracy, and not tothe people.Responsible for controlling populations,rather than protecting the community.Remain outside the community.Tend to secure the interests of onedominant group.Democratic policeAccountable to the law, and democraticgovernment structures.Serve the public and protect, rather thanimpede, human rights and freedoms ofall. Create a security environment whichbest promotes democracy.Communicate with and serve membersof the public. Transparent in theiractivities.Responsive to vulnerable groups, andonly adopt methods of functioning thataccord with the rule of law.32 :: POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IN SOUTH ASIAPutting police accountability into practice 80Accountability is central to good governance and all state structures in a democracy must beaccountable - this means that they must take responsibility for decisions and actions taken.Accountability of the police is a particularly crucial issue because police are responsible forthe safety and security of the public, and are also authorised to use force and, in somecases, can deprive people of their lives and liberty. Police officers must account both for theirperformance and their conduct in performing those functions.In line with the checks and balances that characterise democratic systems of governance,democratic policing requires that the police are accountable in a variety of ways.Firsty, in a democracy, police accountability means the police must be held accountable to: the law, both in terms of human rights standards and the rule of law; the democratically elected government of the day; the people they serve, especially victims of crime and the vulnerable; and professional codes and standards of behaviour within the police organisation, seniorofficers, and professionals within the justice sector.Secondly, democratic police must account for various aspects of their actions and decisions.Police must account for: conduct, individually and organisationally; the performance of the police organisation - how they attempt to protect the publicand keep people safe, how they respond to reports of crime and the results theyachieve in terms of public safety; adherence to laws and policies; and use of state resources.