The Gambian Police have, as their mission, the role to protect lives and provide safety to Gambian citizens. They are expected to serve the people, but their recent actions have left much to be desired.
Last weeks, police used what they referred to as ‘minimum force’ in dealing with civic discord at Brikam, also a demonstration by a group of young people in Serrekunda over the death of Mr. Ousman Darboe.
Before that, there were other instances, including one in which youths were killed and other injuries in Faraba Banta, where they also claimed to have used ‘minimum force’ to break up that gathering.
It is a growing trend which shows citizens, who have been recruited by a government institution to be trained, educated, and empowered to uphold the law, turning against the very people they must serve and protect.
Gambia is a constitutional democracy, founded on the basis of respect for the fundamental rights of people. Such rights include the freedom to assemble, freedom of expression, and the right to free association.
But the police are fast turning into a government protection force, which deems almost any serious gathering as an opportunity to suppress criticism.
This is the tendency many authoritarian societies display when they deal with those of differing opinions in a similar manner.
The police, who are themselves citizens who have amended their social contract to include new duties, responsibilities, authority and power, are fast turning into a brutal force which uses repressive measures at the slightest provocation to silence dissent.
This can be seen from the exaggerated responses we have seen lately, and their claim of having used ‘minimum force’ is not acceptable under the circumstances.
Nowadays, any mass demonstration will see a riot force being used to disperse people, or to supposedly maintain law and order.
In fact, these are acts of misconduct, and need to be addressed now instead of waiting until something worse happens. By being silent on the police actions, the authorities might be seen as encouraging lawlessness and violence against the citizens.
The more the authorities ignore that truth, the greater the civic discord will be that will flow from it.
Already, there are indications of widespread unhappiness within the force, based on the number of messages around governance within the police which are being sent social media.
Maintaining law and order is different to the suppression of rights. And such police actions anywhere in the world would be symptomatic of low standards of professionalism.
If we are not careful, the free reign that has become abusive will move us into becoming a police state. Our law enforcement agencies must know that they ought to be attuned to the importance of protecting and safeguarding the rights of every citizen at all times, and not to overreact in situations of public protest.
One of the best ways to succeed in fighting crime is to work with communities, not against them, as the police need their support.