Police list mentally ill officers in rehab plan
Police recruits during a pass out parade at Kiganjo Training College in Nyeri on March 3, 2017. The National Police Service is compiling a database of mentally ill, physically challenged and alcohol-addicted police officers. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- NPS formed a taskforce to look into why there had been an increase in murders and suicides among officers.
- NPS Spokesman George Kinoti told the Nation last week that its recommendations were being implemented.
The National Police Service is compiling a database of mentally ill, physically challenged and alcohol-addicted police officers.
All county and sub-county commanders in the Administration Police Service, the Kenya Police Service and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have been asked to submit a list of all police officers falling under the three categories with the aim of having them undergo specialised rehabilitation.
SUICIDES
“Kindly submit the list as requested to enable the headquarters to organise for the same. The list should reach the police headquarters on or before November 13, 2017,” read a letter to sub-county commanders by Nairobi County AP Commander Philip Rono.
Although the letter dated November 8, which was seen by the Nation, does not indicate when and how the rehabilitation will take place, a section of formation heads has praised the move as indicative of the NPS having identified the conditions as prevalent in the service.
“They are not supposed to be ignored any further because there have been several incidents attributed to them,” a senior police commander said.
MURDERS
The move comes at a time when the police service is in the spotlight over high numbers of suicides, murders and other crimes committed by officers.
In 2015, the NPS formed a taskforce to look into why there had been an increase in murders and suicides among officers. The team, after visiting police stations in all regions, came up with a report.
The taskforce had instructions to initiate “up, close and candid” conversations in the rank and file.
The Court of Inquiry, headed by Assistant Inspector-General of Police Aggrey Adoli, presented the report to Inspector-General Joseph Boinnet in October last year.
And, although the report was not made public, NPS Spokesman George Kinoti told the Nation last week that its recommendations were being implemented.
The Nation independently established that the report identified high-handedness by some commanders, depression and crimes of passion as among the challenges in the service.
