Some Police officers, who are supposed to be law enforcers, are in the habit of taking undue advantage of the vulnerable and the uneducated. The moment these police officers notice your high level of education, and the least indication of you knowing your rights, they begin to act right and professionally.
Higher levels of police intimidation and unprofessionalism are normally associated with the weak, the vulnerable and mostly the less educated in our societies.
These officer are mandated by law, to act within the boundaries of the law and not to act as they may desire. So in effect every police officer, just like you and I, is punishable by law. Anytime you therefore notice that a police officer has behaved in an unprofessional manner, or has acted outside the scope of duty, any you may want to deal with the said officer, just follow these simple steps:
- First of all, identify the particular officer by name or face or rank or station, thus the particular police station where the said officer is stationed or operates from;
- Secondly, visit the particular officer’s station and identify the Head of that station, be it the Crime Officer, the Divisional or District Commander, or the Station Officer, and make a formal complaint to the Head, either in writing or oral;
- Thirdly, upon your notice that the said Head is sympathetic and unwilling to take any drastic action against the particular officer, you immediately report the said officer to PIPS.
Until now, some people were unaware that there are specialized Institutions established by law in this country, which Institutions deals solely with complaints against police officers, specifically for a breach of their duties as police officers. Notable among these Institutions is the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards (PIPS).
PIPS as an Institution invites complaints in the form of Petitions from the general public against unprofessional conducts by police officers. Upon receipt of a Petition, PIPS invites the police officer in question, to a scheduled meeting with the Petitioner, and probe the matter further.
When PIPS is convinced of any misconduct on the part of the said officer, disciplinary actions are taken strictly against the officer, which may result in a dismissal from the profession.
Your Petition should be addressed to the Director-General of PIPS.