Police Culture and its Impact on the Associated Communities: (A Case Study of Thana Shahpur, District Sargodha)

Abstract

he study gives a detailed anthropological account of ‘Police culture’ in Pakistan through a case study of police practices and their impact on the associated communities in Thana Shahpur (Saddar) district Sargodha of Pakistan. Thana Shahpur (and its village Jahanabad), with a social and political history dominated by feudalism, provided an ideal setting for this ethnographic study. The study spread over a period of three years (2008-2011) in the locale, helped to penetrate deep into the police-community relations and explore latent structures and process in police culture and how it impacts upon police community relations. Being first of its kind in a Pakistani context, the study also examines the historical, social and organizational perspective of evolution of the police culture. The police culture, a legacy of British colonial rule in India, is mainly manifested in the working of a Thana (police station). As cardinal point for the police’s interaction with the community and vice versa, a Thana characterizes police culture for most of the citizens. In a political and social context, defined by interplay of power and patronage to gain influence and authority, control of Thana assumes critical importance for attaining and maintaining social and political dominance. Consequential co-option and politicization of the police by dominant socio-political groups negatively influence police culture with adverse effects for the community such as non responsive and abusive attitude, corruption, politicization, torture, disregard for rule of law and equal treatment. This further alienates community which feels scared and distrustful from the police. The ethnographic research revealed that the dynamics of police culture are shaped and constructed more by informal processes than laws, rules and regulations. The study, therefore, maps the rituals, ceremonies and practices, along with their philosophical and cultural genesis which promote a particular V

type of police culture. It was observed that the police culture works both as a cause and an obstacle to reform it. This also explains the failure of previous reform efforts, which mainly focused on organizational, administrative structural, procedural, financial and legal aspects of the police culture. The results of qualitative and quantitative research during the study reinforce the common perception of an adversarial relationship between the police and community. Extraneous interference (from socio-political and bureaucratic elite) not only in operational matters but also internal management functions such as recruitment, training, posting, promotions award of punishment and rewards have further eroded neutral and professional character of the police. Enjoying little legitimacy, the police actions are often seen as coercive, discriminatory and anti people by the community. Media portrayal of police further reinforces this negative image of police. Lack of communication between the public and police also increases gap between them. It finds that being subsystem of the larger socio-political system cannot be reformed in isolation. However, despite the fact that an efficient and professional police is critical to good governance, access to justice, rule of law, security and socioeconomic development; it remains a non priority in public policy debate. Political and police leadership, media and civil society can play a critical role in restructuring and re-orienting police culture for positively transforming the police community relations. Not only police need to be insulated from extraneous influences, the role and responsibility also need to be redefined to correspond to existing socio-political realities. Community also needs to demand, as a matter of fundamental right, a police which is subservient to law only.