CORRUPTION AND ITS IMPACT ON LAW

ENFORCEMENT WORK

Oris I. Jaen Fernandez

I. CURRENT SITUATION
The National Police of Panama has as its primary objective safeguard the life,honor,property and
other rights and freedoms of all persons that are under the jurisdiction of the State, as well as to
maintain the peace and security of all its inhabitants.1 To run this mission, the police must interact
with the society and be observers to the accomplish of laws,according to the standard the Constitution
of the Republic of Panama.

The relationship between police and citizens must be informed by the ethical and professional
principles that allow for the effective development of police work.One of the challenges to community
police units is to maintain the integrity and the commitment to sustain the credibility deposited by the
citizens.2 All programmes designed to improve the quality of life and the citizen s security perception
within communities depends of the image projected by the police officers enforcement.

It has been found through disciplinary audiences that police officers misconducts,such as abuse of
authority, misuse of force, extortion and immoral behaviours have a negative impact to the publics
perception of security. Any police officers act of corruption has a direct impact on the image of the
organization, as well as on the plans and strategies that are developed for the benefit of all citizens.
Corruption causes the loss of citizens trust toward police tasks.

Police officers of lower rank are commonly breaking the disciplinary rules.New generations seems
to be more involved in disciplinary behaviours, also the responsibility and the ethical values that
society requires,show not to be their strength.Currently,is not easily to find in the society,the human
resource with the appropriate profile that is needed to work and run the role of authority and enforce
existing laws and rules with the vocation of service. This issue is now a challenge for recruiting and
selection process:hire the best and high qualified individuals for law enforcement duties, even when
citizens needs are upon more police officers presence on the streets to improve their security percep-
tion.

There is no doubt, a change in strategies and in security policies to faced corruption is obviously
necessary. The main purpose must be focused on man empowerment: high values,skills and commit-
ment for law enforcement duties. This will enhance the security organization in high standards
capacities to enforce the mission given by law:protect and serve society. This means not be empower-
ed as an authority to incurred in abuses and corruption and be served through illegal profits from
society.

When a police officer is implicated in acts of corruption, the elements of proof become one of the
main limitations for the disciplinary punishment.For the prosecution of acts of corruption committed
by police officers, was created the Department of Professional Responsibility,as an office of internal
affairs.This department is responsible for investigating violations of police procedures and the acts of
corruption in accordance with the provisions of Article 119 of the Organic Law of the National Police.3
These investigations may be initiated in the following manner:

Commissioner, National Police, Panama.

1Executive Decree No. 204, Disciplinary Rules of the National Police, September 3, 1997
2United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, policing:The integrity and accountability of the Police, New York 2006
3Executive Decree No. 204, Disciplinary Rules of the National Police (2012).

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Ex officio, public complaint through a social media.

Denunciation, complaint or telephone indictment, previous identification.

Complaint through a signed letter

Indictment or complaint of any member of the National Police

Sometimes the investigations are constrained by the need of information and evidences under the
responsibility of the private sector and the judicial agencies, making it difficult the collection of
information and evidence of the fact,and will therefore take a long time,thus leading to a long waiting
period between the act of indiscipline and the punish that impose the Disciplinary Superior Board to
this misconduct. This situation makes security strategies of the National Police more vulnerable to
corruption,by the broad period for the exemplary disciplinary action to correct the action,which is a
threat to the task of enforcing the law at all levels:organization, community and citizenship.4

II. EFFECTS OF CORRUPTION

Corruption is one of the most convincing threats to security organizations,because it is a problem
related to ethical. Corruption is usually generated from outside by the action of people that from their
own perspectives, recruit and corrupt public servants to serve for their purposes and in many cases
these activities are done in secrecy and cannot be easily detected.5

Currently the National Police is conducting retraining to different hierarchical levels in order to
strengthen the ethical principles and values of all its members,to ensure the high degree ofcompetitive-
ness and professionalism during the performance of their duties. Corruption not only breaks the moral
principles and the institutional image but it promotes the feeling of fear and insecurity among the
citizens.6

A. Organized Crime
Each day the organized crime is looking for a way to penetrate the security institutions. Public
servants who work in the judicial departments and law enforcement officers are more vulnerable by
the organized crime through their bribes and extortion,even death threats,in order to obtain benefits
and to continue their illicit activities. According to Americas Barometer (2008), police corruption is
considered a critical problem in Latin America, known through the media news about the police
collaboration and protection of persons from organized crime.

According to report conducted by the research organization,on results obtained through survey in
21 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, 44% of the respondents said that their local police
are involved in crime. Thirty-eight percent (38%)said that the police were protecting the citizens and
18% said that the police did not protect the people but was not involved in criminal activities.

The fight against organized crime has its center of gravity in the institutional legitimacy. No
matter how greater the challenge is,terrorist or drug trafficker,the behaviour of those who enforce the
law must be committed to the respect for the law and human rights.Otherwise,each time that a public
servant is diverted from its performance,it is legitimizing the crime,putting in proof the capacity of
moral integrity,dignity and ethics of law enforcement workers and all the security institutions of the
nation.7

4United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, policing:The integrity and accountability of the Police, New York 2006
5Lynch, Omar. Caracterı
sticas de la corrupcion administrativa en Panama, actividades realizadas en la lucha contra la
corrupcion,resultados yperspectivas.Retrieved from http://www.clad.org/documentos/otros-documentos/caracteristicas-
de-la-corrupcion-administrativa-en-panama-actividades-realizadas-en-
la-
lucha-contra-
la-
corrupcion-resultados-y-
perspectiva,
October 12, 2013
6Transparencia Policial en Colombia (2008). Retrieved from ＜http://www.policia.edu.co/documentos/ascensos/
tematicas ascenso pt 2013/Guia%20Policia%20Nacional%20por%20el%20Camino%20de%20la%20Eficiencia,%20la%
20Transparencia%20y%20el%20Buen%20uso%20de%20la%20Fuerza.pdf＞ 12 October 12 2013.
7Deontologia Policial, Retrieved from http:/
/www.policia.cl/cidepol/biblioteca/deontologiapolicial.pdf,October 12,2013.

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Perception that the Police are involved in crime, Latin America

and Caribbean, 2008

Police involved in crime

Source: http://www.americasbarometer.org

Any police officer of the National Police detected having any relation with people of organized
crime or of dubious reputation, denigrates the institutional image and is severely punished with the
dismissed of the police career,previous investigation done by the Department of Professional Responsi-
bility. This is important because if the citizenship notes the repetition of negative behaviours that are
not sanctioned, concludes will be wrong, that all cops are well and that,in addition,are protected by
their superiors, which reaffirms the perception of impunity and complicity.

B. Perception of Security (Citizens feel secure during daily activities)

According to the Public Security M inistry, the National Strategy for Citizen Security, whose cost
is about of US$37 million provided bythe European Union until 2017,is based on enhancing the training
of individuals from the Public Security M inistry, Education, Social Development, Labor and the
National Police. This tends to exchange information between law enforcement agencies and to

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implement more prevention at the family level and in schools that are located in areas with high rates
of youth violence, drug and alcohol use.8

Nowadays, the perception of security of the citizens must be the primary interest when a security
strategy is designed. Indicators should be directed to the perceptions and expectations of quality of
service the society and the country need. Moreover, indicators should evaluate the law enforcement
work and its impact on the relationship police-community-authority.

In these times, the common citizen is not interested in knowing if their security depends on the
community policing or investigation tasks of law enforcement officers,or the police relation with the
prosecutor or the judge to ensure the security of them. The matter is now who cares of them during
their daily activities and through its work can make them feel secure. The world todaydemands a high
level of competitiveness,in the case of the National Police,the respect for the law,Human Rights,the
effectiveness of their work and transparency in the activities of each of their members. It is necessary
significant changes in the profile of police officers required to achieve law enforcement duties. It
implies substantial changes for a contemporary police culture of transformations toward the respect
for the rights and dignity of all individuals. And also,with the surveillance of the citizens,observing
their police officers is honest,reliable,transparent and responsible for their actions in the community
he/she serves. If this does not exist and are obvious acts of corruption during police duty,citizen will
mistrust their police and will not collaborate or participate in any programme to reduce crime rates
and improve perception of security in their communities.

Recent citizen s surveys pointed out the confidence and acceptance of the National Police. In
January 2013 almost 1,201 people surveyed by the Borges and Associated Company declared having
55.8% good opinion of the National Police,placing it in fifth place in comparison with other organiza-
tions such as the Canal Authority(63.3%),Electoral Tribunal(61%),Social Communication (57.7%)and
the Catholic Church (57%).

The corruption scandals related to drug trafficking, abuses of authority and high crime rates
directly affect the mistrust that perceive the citizens on the National Police. On the other hand, in
recent years, immediate actions of depuration and police reform carried out have improved levels of
confidence.

C. Increase in Crime
The police presence on the streets is closely linked with the perception ofsecurityofthe citizens and
the prevention for the actions of crime. It is thus that each police action in the operational or
administrative area has a significant impact on the development of criminal activities.

One of the most questioned police actions in the internal administrative process are the absence to
the service. In the last nine months, 52 police officers were destitute because they were absent from
work more than three consecutive days without justification (desertion). In occasions from this
situation, emerges the commission of other misconduct to the disciplinary regulations, as it is the
counterfeiting or alteration of signatures or documents,when police officers try to justify the absence
to the service through questionable documents that certify their inability for health reasons. During
2013, six police officers have been removed because of these practices. Additional, these cases were
sent to the Anticorruption Prosecutors, to investigate this act of corruption.

The quality of service provided by the National Police is directly related to the results of the police
presence for the prevention of criminal acts. Each time that a police officer is absent from the service
with a medical justification, we should not think in the first instance that is an act of corruption but
a right. But,so long as they comply with the procedures for reporting on time the absence from work
and in such way,it allows adjusting security needs in relation to the human resources available. It is
in this way that its responsibility for its absence is not in doubt.

8Cordoba, M aria G. Panama: Nueva estrategia de seguridad busca reducir homicidios. Retrieved from http://www.
infosur.com, October 12, 2013.

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In some cases, it has been detected that police officers were involved in criminal acts, performing
other tasks for personal remuneration,which are absent to its service justifiably. These facts are the
one to pay attention to, because it s linked to acts of corruption.

On the other hand,every action,decision and omission in law enforcement duties,the police officer
has significant responsibility according to the results. In this year,44 police officers were destitute due
to denigrate the image of the institution. The majority of them were involved direct and indirect with
criminal operations, omitting significant information for the persecution of the offenders and even
subtracting evidence from the crime scene. The current risk of law enforcement work is more ethical
than physical.

Whenever a police officer goes out to the street to fight crime,the challenges will be greater due to
the factors internal and external determinants that encourage the development of the acts of corrup-
tion,which facilitates the increase in crime and the perception of insecurity. This feeling of insecurity
not only applies to criminal acts but also to others that low the level of confidence because of the
dissatisfaction of the system of justice, especially in cases of corruption.

Graphic 1 Panamanian Public Opinion about the problems facing the country

Source:The Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Report, November 2011

III. M EASURES TO CONTROL CORRUPTION

According to the Article 18 of the Constitution,public servants are responsible for breaches of the
Constitution and the law and also by overstepping of functions or by omission in the exercise of these.
On the other hand,the Article 1996 of the current Judicial Code,says that every public employee who,
in the exercise of their functions discover in any way that a crime has been committed to those where
they are to be on its own motion, will promote to pass all data that are conducive and denounced to
the competent authority, to proceed with the prosecution of the offender or offenders.

Police officers are public servants, and must reported to their superiors or to the corresponding
authorities, those acts of those who had knowledge with reason or on the occasion of the exercise of
their functions and that could cause harm to the State or constitute a criminal offense or violations of
any of the provisions contained in the Code of Ethics (Executive Decree No.246,September 15,2004).

The members of the National Police should behave at all times in accordance with the highest
principles of honesty, morality in the exercise of their functions. Police officers, in their professional
and personal life, will be honest and respectful of human dignity and give the example in compliance
with the laws and regulations of the law enforcement institution.9

9 Executive Decree No. 204

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Some measures that can control the acts of corruption within the police force, are the following:

Accountability to the community

Implementation of strategies and clear policies against corruption

Strengthen a culture of transparency

Efficiency for the recruitment of police officers

Improving accounting and auditing standards of staff, goods and services

Develop training and ability of the police officer

Implement and monitor appropriate manuals and procedures

Promote and comply the rules of law

Prosecution based on accurate facts and evidences that are needed by law

Promote activities to encourage coordination between private sectors

Punishments for corruption will be more severe. Sanctions will increase for corrupt acts.

Use of a special telephone number. This line will provide legal aid to people who have been
exposed to corrupt behaviour. A specialized police section will therefore be established.10

Promote anticorruption campaign through a culture of integrity against corruption in the

public service

Enforce rule of law to fight corruption behaviour

IV. CONCLUSION
Police officers have as their primary mission to protect and serve society,while respecting human
rights, equity and justice, as well as all the constitutional rights of the people living in Panama. But
to comply this important task, always act in accordance to what is established by law, ensuring the
security of citizens without accepting gifts or rewards for reasons related to the exercise of their
functions.

To meet the cases related to corruption, the treatment must be encased, directing exemplary
disciplinary punishment toward the misconduct and not toward those who committed it.This will help
in making objective decisions,based on the laws and codes of conduct and ethics that govern the duties
of all those officials who serve society and does not been served by it.

On the other hand,it is important to the training of police officers to strengthen their competitive-
ness in values and ethical to achieve his/her organization with absolute impartiality,without engaging
in acts of corruption that denigrate the image of the institution and it is the duty of each one of them
to keep a constant surveillance to combat corruption.

10 Anti-
corruption measures. Retrieved from ＜http://icv.vlada.cz/en/anti-corruption-measures-91528/＞. 13 July 2013.

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