Why the need for incentives?

I have always said that I question why police have to do better when offered incentives. Is that actually taught at the police academy, that they should do better if incentives are offered? Is the PNP’s performance dependent on the president’s whims, goals, advocacy? But isn’t a crime a crime, that must be dealt with accordingly, without the need for incentives? Recently, President Duterte offered a trip to Hong Kong to policemen who will kill their superiors that are involved in illegal drugs. Days later, that was exactly what happened. PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde downplayed one of the incidents, saying it may not be related to the president’s reward. I guess we will see more of the same soon. Who doesn’t want to go to Hong Kong, right?

We are also well aware of the previous incentives Duterte has offered to police. Giving them protection, even from prosecution, as long as they carry out his bloody war on illegal drugs. I believe that no one will argue that the PNP has never enjoyed this much support, and monetary benefits from a sitting president. But does the president have to do this, to bring out the best in the police force?

And yet we still see policemen involved in crime. Extortion, robbery, even rape. Even with the doubling of their salaries, it is not enough to satisfy their need for more. The citizenry is still at the mercy of rogue, criminal police, which the PNP is trying its best to weed out. The Counter Intelligence Task Force was formed to run after erring officers, but some are still able to slip past them. I can understand the daunting task in front of them, with the kind of culture we have.

Indeed, it would be a dream to see a police force the citizenry can truly trust. I know no police force is perfect, but at least they truly serve and protect. Many developed countries have an excellent police force, the operative word being ‘developed’. Their equipment and logistics are far better than what we have, making their jobs much easier, providing faster results. We already have CCTV technology, and yet the police themselves disable or manipulate them during operations, supposedly to conceal their operatives. Defeats the purpose, right? The use of body cams is still something the PNP is willing to embrace.

A police force comparable to developed countries may still be a dream to us. We have to take the culture of the people into consideration. We have to admit that the practice of bribery is still very much alive. When easy money is available, it only snowballs, with the recipient wanting more. We may be able to control rogue, erring police, but to change the culture of a people may be close to impossible.