Post by Moses on May 29, 2005 19:08:32 GMT -5
EDITORIAL - Police discipline
The Philippine Star 05/30/2005
They shed a combined weight of 996 pounds and took a total of 250 inches off their waistlines. Slimmer and healthier after a three-month weight reduction program, 104 members of the Philippine National Police showed what discipline could do to improve themselves and their public image. The PNP can use this kind of discipline in law enforcement.
Unlike a similar weight loss program during the Estrada administration, which was so drastic at least one police officer died from the sudden physical strain, this new program to get rid of police potbellies used expert advice. The 104 cops followed a doctor-prescribed regimen of diet and exercise that resulted in a sustainable weight loss of up to 38 pounds for some of the participants.
This is definitely a cosmetic improvement, and the 104 cops will have to continue working to keep off the pounds they have lost. But the results show that there are some cops who are willing to get rid of unhealthy habits to become better individuals. If they have the self-discipline to adopt a healthier lifestyle and look better, they should also have the discipline to improve their overall performance as law enforcers.
That readiness to change can go a long way in an organization that is widely perceived to be full of rotten eggs and resistant to reforms. Slimming down required some help from the private sector. Outside help can also be tapped to implement reforms in an organization that is often derided for corruption and incompetence.
The PNP has some serious problems that cannot be cured by a healthier lifestyle. Poor pay makes the average cop vulnerable to corruption and even direct involvement in criminal activities such as kidnapping. Inadequate training and equipment as well as the weakness of the justice system have encouraged short cuts in law enforcement, such as summary executions and the use of torture to force confessions even from the wrong suspects. Many cops don’t even know their law, and are clueless about the basics of scientific criminal investigation.
These problems, however, are not insurmountable. As those cops who were once obese have shown, if the discipline and desire to change are there, a better PNP can emerge.
The Philippine Star 05/30/2005
They shed a combined weight of 996 pounds and took a total of 250 inches off their waistlines. Slimmer and healthier after a three-month weight reduction program, 104 members of the Philippine National Police showed what discipline could do to improve themselves and their public image. The PNP can use this kind of discipline in law enforcement.
Unlike a similar weight loss program during the Estrada administration, which was so drastic at least one police officer died from the sudden physical strain, this new program to get rid of police potbellies used expert advice. The 104 cops followed a doctor-prescribed regimen of diet and exercise that resulted in a sustainable weight loss of up to 38 pounds for some of the participants.
This is definitely a cosmetic improvement, and the 104 cops will have to continue working to keep off the pounds they have lost. But the results show that there are some cops who are willing to get rid of unhealthy habits to become better individuals. If they have the self-discipline to adopt a healthier lifestyle and look better, they should also have the discipline to improve their overall performance as law enforcers.
That readiness to change can go a long way in an organization that is widely perceived to be full of rotten eggs and resistant to reforms. Slimming down required some help from the private sector. Outside help can also be tapped to implement reforms in an organization that is often derided for corruption and incompetence.
The PNP has some serious problems that cannot be cured by a healthier lifestyle. Poor pay makes the average cop vulnerable to corruption and even direct involvement in criminal activities such as kidnapping. Inadequate training and equipment as well as the weakness of the justice system have encouraged short cuts in law enforcement, such as summary executions and the use of torture to force confessions even from the wrong suspects. Many cops don’t even know their law, and are clueless about the basics of scientific criminal investigation.
These problems, however, are not insurmountable. As those cops who were once obese have shown, if the discipline and desire to change are there, a better PNP can emerge.