Police to sign new rules to guide their conduct on duty

Police officers countrywide have until March 21 to sign their commitment to a new set of rules that will guide their conduct henceforth.

Officers will now be prohibited from running side businesses that can compromise their work.

They are also barred from having inappropriate sexual relations with their colleagues and are also obligated to take care of seized property, among other tough new requirements.

The code was gazetted by the National Police Service Commission.

It is expected that with the code in force, there will be a system to check against the many accusations that have been levelled against the police.

Among them is criticism that police officers interfere with exhibits intercepted from drug trafficking suspects.

In June 2015, for instance, the then chairman of the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse John Mututho said there were numerous cases in which evidence of drugs, such as bhang, reduced or completely disappeared between the point of seizure and their presentation in court.

While the police code of conduct is not very different from others adopted by other State organs, there are a few differences when the code is juxtaposed with that governing officers of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

The ethics commission is the custodian of all the codes of conduct.

One difference is in the section that permits state officers to receive certain gifts.

In the code of conduct for anti-graft officials, only two conditions are placed for receiving gifts: if the gift is within the usual expression of courtesy, and if it does not exceed an amount set by law.

The police code has the two but adds a third: accept if the gift is not monetary.

CORRUPT MINISTRY

While there is a provision that the value of the gift should be within the law, in the Police Act there is no provision on gifts.

The code effectively bars officers from receiving any monetary gifts.

It remains to be seen if this will change the perception towards police.

According to a 2015 survey by the anti-graft agency, the Interior ministry, where police lie, was perceived to be the most corrupt by the public.

Some 40.3 per cent of respondents said the ministry was home to the biggest portion of corrupt State officers.

It was followed by the Health ministry at 14.3 per cent and Lands at 11 per cent.

Also, the code of conduct for the police differs with that of anti-graft agency staff in that those who serve the latter are not allowed to hold dual citizenship.