By Adama Makasuba
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has developed a 2-article Code of Conduct for the police. This will help them to preserve law and order and effectively execute their national duties within the ambits of the law.
The new ethics code is expected to be incorporated into police training curriculum and other in-service training curricular, which will be applicable on every member of the nation’s police force.
Chief of the National Human Rights Commission, Daniel Emmanuel Joof, described his institution and the police as well as the judiciary as the guidance of rule of law. “We are caretakers and custodians of the rule of law,” he noted.
He said the police role is to “protect life and property” and “apprehend offenders, investigate and prosecute crimes,” as they are generally to maintain law and order in society.
“Without an effective and efficient police force, we risk a breakdown in law and order and a society and country where anarchy will reign. So, one cannot understate the important role of the police play in our society,” he told police officers.
He urged the public to have faith and honesty in the integrity in the Gambia Police Force and its police men and women. “Officers are therefore expected to follow due process in their dealings; avoid being improperly beholden to any person or institution; and discharge their duties with integrity.”
Speaking on behalf of IGP, ASP Ansumana Sanyang commended the National Human Rights Commission for developing Code of Conduct for police. He therefore described the process as “step in the right direction in the reform process.”
“Reform has lots of stages to go through but lots of processes as well [and] policy development is one of the important aspects of reform. So, we are deeply heartened and very much happy that we have come to the conclusion of developing a code of conduct for police officers which would serve as a bench mark to be able to assess the behaviours of police officers both those coming in and serving members of the Gambia Police Force,” he said.