Australia’s latest Productivity Commission report released this month found perceptions of the honesty and fairness of police officers have reached a 10-year low, and Indigenous deaths in custody are at their highest in 15 years. In the United States, over 400 people have been killed by police so far in 2023, with numbers predicted to grow, according to not-for-profit organisation Mapping Police Violence. Incidents of police violence and misconduct are becoming far too common, sparking widespread outrage and calls for reforms. But police reforms are complex. And while Malaysia's Independent Police Conduct Commission will be in force from next month, critics argue it lacks disciplinary powers.
Change can still happen. As long as there is a commitment to transparency and accountability in the process.
Perspectives
An early warning system to keep police honest Louise Porter, Griffith University Early intervention and external oversight are two effective ways to keep police behaviour in check and nip problems in the bud.
Why do some Filipinos support police shoot-to-kill policy? Danielle P. Ochoa, University of the Philippines People’s moral reasoning involved making sense of who the agents and victims are and their perceived intentions.
Can forensic psychology help improve policing practices? Magdalene Ng, University of Westminster and Kai Li Chung, University of Reading Malaysia Forensic psychology – the practice of psychology in the justice system – offers a way to address Malaysia’s issues with police violence
This is how you build trust with Indonesia's police Adrianus Meliala, University of Indonesia After separating from the military, Indonesia’s police still struggle to gain public trust. Have they missed their best chance of winning over the people?
Growing calls for a stronger police oversight commission in Malaysia Nurus Sakinatul Fikriah Mohd Shith Putera, Mazlifah Mansoor, Mastika Nasrun, Norazlina Abdul Aziz and Syazni Nadzirah Ya'cob, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) To ensure police accountability, there needs to be multiple, transparent bodies involved, each with distinct roles and with the public interest at heart.
Interactive: Trust in the police around the world James Goldie, 360info.org
Police a missing passenger in Indonesia’s reform train Fachrizal Afandi, Universitas Brawijaya Indonesia’s constitution separated the military from civilian politics after the fall of Suharto in 1998. But the police didn’t get the memo.
How not to do community policing: lessons from Brazil Ludmila Ribeiro, Federal University of Minas Gerais It will take learning the lessons of Brazil’s many failures of police reform to truly implement a safer future for all Brazilians.
