LAW AND REFORMThe Role of Legitimacy in Police Reform and EffectivenessShanna Tova O’ReillyGlobal Practice Specialist II, DAI

Case Study: Bangladesh National Police

• Country context

• British colonial rule and its impact on police culture

• Varied attempts at police reform

• Community policing: strengths, flaws and challenges

• Does importing western models even work?

• Issues of legitimacy and social cohesion

• Summary and recommendations

Bangladesh Context

• South Asian majority Muslim

• 166 million people, 8th most populous

• 9.15 common crimes per 100,000•

• Rates equivalent to major US city

• However, increasing ethnic and politically based violence

Country Politics• “Criminalization of Politics”

• The historical role of public protests (hartals)

• Increase in violence results in economic costs

• Enter party politics with law enforcement as an extension of the political apparatus

The Impact of British Colonial Rule • Current policing originates in 200 years of British rule

• Police as a state arm to amass power • Goal is not to serve and protect citizens• Police power situated in state government• Nationally: Inspector General (IGP) responds to ministry• Locally: Sub-Inspector (SI) to district commissioner (DC)

• The 1861 Police Act

But Who are the Police?• Centralized force of 150,000 under Home Affairs Ministry

• IGP supported by 9 Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs)

• Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs)

• Central Investigative Division (CID)

• Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)

• Ratio of 1 officer: 1,000 citizens (1/3 UN recommended)

• 80% constables, 5.24% female

Police Culture• Highly politicized budget (420 million USD annual) and

operations• Frequent premature transfer of officers limits relationships• According to TI, 84% of citizens see police as the most

corruption institution

“A rickshaw puller can make more in a day than some officers. Its foolish to expect a police officer to adequately perform his duties – or distance himself from corruption for that matter – when his primary concern is making financial ends meet.”

Police Culture• Illegal detention, death in custody, torture, corruption,

refusal to file reports w/o payment

“The local police station would not accept our GDs (General Diary Reports), nor would the police investigate the crime simply because ‘their hands were tied’ and advised ‘not to poke their nose’ in to the criminal affairs of the BNP leader (advisor to then PM Khaleda Zia), thus allowing eviction of 16 tenant families from our properties and later demolition of ten homes built by my father.”

Why Some of this Happens: Conditions

• Constables enter with 3 months training

• Erratic 14 – 16 hour shifts and very few days off

• Significant administrative / political duties

• Limited amount of citizen engagement

• However, highly visible in community

• Monthly salary: 5,500 – 23,000 taka (70 - 300 USD)

• Out of pocket: fuel, bikes, rickshaws, stationary, snacks

Police Reform Programme (PRP)• 2007 Police Act• Creation of Crime Prevention Center• 2012 – 2014 1st Strategic Planning• Community policing as an integral concept (directives,

forums, assigned officers)• Actors: UNDP, USAID, GIZ, NGOs like Asia Foundation• Challenges in adapting to the local context:

• Well-intentioned efforts can face practical challenges such as political co-optation

• What works in one place, doesn’t elsewhere (e.g. equipment)• Training – how do I know my community policing is the same as

yours (e.g. force multiplier)?

Does Importing Western Models Work?

• 518 communities saw 24% improvement in citizen perceptions / trust

• 95% of officers saw an increase in understanding of importance of citizen relations

• Significant increase in quality community policing activities• Or, is this the right question…

Summary and Recommendations • Collective efficacy thru citizen networks (e.g. demand side)

to enhance legitimacy / accountability• Wider structural efforts are needed to support community

policing and reform• As we saw yesterday, its not enough to simply provide

training, how is that training adapted to “real life” • (e.g. citizen-police partnerships can have multiple interpretations)

• What institutional incentives are put in place to reinforce that effort over the long-term

• …And, it’s a moving, constantly changing target.