Dear Editor – I present here three subjects or areas in a form of questioning which I need clarifications from the Honiara City Council, Law Enforcement Division based on approaches and credibility of the HCC Law Enforcers.
I well aware that the concept of law enforcement is not new. Since the beginning of recorded time, there have been people appointed to maintain the standards and rules of community or society.
Law enforcement includes a variety of methods that use both technology and personnel to raise awareness and educate citizens about their daily business behaviours and how they relate to the safety rules.
An effective law enforcement program is more about providing visible law enforcement presence for improved behaviour than picking money out from street venders’ pocket like the HCC Law Enforcement done to our people in Honiara Streets which I witnessed.
Just this week, I witnessed a HCC Law Enforcement Officer asked money from a group of men believed to be street venders at China Town street. I asked those men of the approach taken by the Law Enforcer and they replied saying that the Law Enforcer is under the influence of liquor and its usual to them.
Last week, I also witnessed one from a group of HCC Law enforcers ran after a young women and un-culturally seized her basket containing betel-nuts, Korokua bundle, packets of cigarettes and other private belongings including; women’s pants, perfume, nail cutter, male condoms and then picked out money from the woman’s trousers pockets.
I think, with all those happening, the law enforcement approaches carried out by the HCC Law Enforcers are not based on local setting. It might base on the HCC Law Enforcement Division’s disorganized set-up.
I think guys; HCC Law Enforcement Division should include professionals who manage some aspect of the containment and possible rehabilitation of law in Honiara. I well aware that those Law Enforcers are those without job with unprofessional backgrounds. And this could be blamed on the HCC recruitment panel.
Law enforcers are the term for professionals who are dedicated to upholding and enforcing the laws and statutes in force in a given jurisdiction. There are law enforcement jobs that focus on local settings, while the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force are focused more on upholding and enforcing national laws.
In addition to enforcing laws, the function of legal enforcement also involves managing the punishment process for people who are convicted of offenses, up to and including managing the process of confinement but not harassment like the HCC L/Enforcers did.
At its core, law enforcement seeks to achieve two goals. First, law enforcement professionals seek to prevent the occurrence of a crime that is in some way damaging to another individuals or to the society.
Second, people employed in some enforcement capacity will seek to ensure suspected criminals are tried in a manner that is in compliance with local laws. Not on their own interests as clearly seen from the HCC L/Enforcers.
With all, I question, is this approaches restore law with order or restore law without order?
Nicholson Kabele
Honiara
