Starting this year, June 15 would be observed as Police Day, with all police agencies and academies granted the day off, the Ministry of the Interior announced earlier this month.
Police officers have for a long time worked 365 days a year, being on call around the clock. They are often caught in the middle, criticized for how they are performing their duties — law enforcement. However, when it comes to retirement benefits, they are classified as general civil servants, which many of them find unfair and frustrating.
Their hard work has finally been recognized by the government. Apart from amending the law to raise the income replacement ratio for retirees, the government also announced a holiday for police officers, to commend them for their efforts in fighting crime on the front lines.
The scope of police duties is extensive and complex, with various projects piling up throughout the year. Anything that involves security or traffic is handled by police agencies. Every item and case is discussed in meetings that could involve hundreds of pages of materials.
Personnel providing internal support are busy from dawn until night, and holidays were no exception. Even police detectives who are supposed to work on the field have to deal with a large amount of paperwork, leading to immense pressure that could be suffocating.
CHANGES NEEDED
Burdened with a decades-old system, the police are tasked with addressing prevailing social safety issues. They often struggle when facing security issues that are constantly changing, as they have to comply with rules and regulations that are often outdated.
Although frontline personnel in different counties and cities have made suggestions that aim to improve the situation, they are regarded as dissidents by central management, which dismisses their demands and pretends that everything is going well.
‘TRAGIC DESTINY’
Being a police officer is like performing a role. People ask them for help when they are in trouble. They also blame the police when things go wrong.
Incidents of assault and verbal abuse against police officers frequently make headlines. However, courts often hand lenient punishment.
In some cases, officers have been beaten to death, but people forget about them soon after a public memorial is held.
What kind of justice is this if it is delayed? This is the tragic destiny of being a police officer.
When a public security issue arises, it is the police’s responsibility to solve the problem. However, they can only act within the judicial system when they enforce the law.
A DILEMMA
When they patrol and conduct checks in the neighborhood that their police station has jurisdiction over, they cannot intercept and check people who are suspected of contravening the law if they are not caught in the act or their behavior does not clearly indicate criminal intent.
Once the police step over the line, even just a bit, they could end up in court. Not only might they endure physical or mental exhaustion, but they might also face jail sentences.
This is the dilemma faced by police when enforcing the law.
I wish all police officers a happy Police Day. On this special day, I hope every officer can enjoy a safe working environment and enforce the law with dignity and efficiency, so that public power can be exercised to safeguard the lives and property of the people.
Mark Chih is a senior police officer.
Translated by Fion Khan
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