CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUNJAB POLICE OFFICERS

       Subject:-       CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUNJAB POLICE OFFICERS.

The Police Order, 2002 has been enforced by the Government

since 14^th August, 2002 and has become operational from this date. The object of the order is to place the Police under an obligation to function according to the Constitution, law and democratic aspirations of the people of Pakistan. This being so, functioning of the Police requires to be professional, service oriented and accountable to the people by re-defining its role, its duties and responsibilities so far as prevention and detection of crime and maintenance of public order is concerned. Police officers usually act individually in the execution of their duties. But, they should always remember that on the behaviour of each individual depends the reputation of the force and the degree to which the lawabiding section of the public will be willing to cooperate against law-breakers.

• Article 114 of the Police Order, 2002, Police Rules 14.4 and conduct Rules empower the Provincial Police Officer, to issue a Code of Conduct to regulate police practices and to provide a set of guidelines laying out how the Police should act and behave both on duty and off duty in order to bring them in conformity with the new law while performing their duties in official capacity. This Code of Conduct does not seek to restrict police officer’s discretion: rather it aims to define the parameters of conduct within which that discretion should be exercised.

• The Code of Conduct should be brought to the notice of the rank and file of Punjab Police. Any violation of the same shall be a ground for punishment under the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and

Accountability Act, 2006. The Code, if observed in letter and spirit, will definitely help to achieve professional acumen par excellence and build confidence of the public at large in Police force.

• Please ensure compliance.

JAVED IQBAL, PSP

Inspector General of Police/PPO, Punjab, Lahore.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR PUNJAB POLICE OFFICERS

1. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY:

It is of paramount importance that the public has faith in the honesty and integrity of police officers.  Officers should, therefore, be open and truthful in their dealings; avoid being improperly beholden to any person or institution; and discharge their duties with integrity, honesty and professionalism. 

• FAIRNESS AND IMPARTIALITY:

Police officers have a particular responsibility to act with fairness and impartiality in all their dealings with the public and their colleagues.

The police must fulfill the duty imposed upon them by law in protecting all persons against the illegal acts by manifesting high degree of responsibility required by their profession.  Police officers usually act individually in the execution of their duty.  They should remember that their behaviour and conduct reflects the image of the entire force.

• CORRUPTION:

Police officials shall not commit any act of corruption. They shall also rigorously oppose all such acts.  Corruption should be understood to encompass the commission or omission of an act in the performance of or in connection with one’s duties, in response to gifts, promises or incentives demanded or accepted, or the wrongful receipt of these once the act has been committed or omitted. Every police officer, if any time he should be offered bribe, is required to make an immediate report of the fact to his senior officer.  Failure to comply with this order will constitute a breach of discipline.

• POLITENESS AND TOLERANCE:

Officers should treat members of the public and colleagues with courtesy and respect, avoiding abusive or derogatory attitude or behavior.  Particularly, officers must avoid: favouritism of an individual or group; all forms of harassment, victimization or unreasonable discrimination; and overbearing conduct to colleagues, particularly to one junior in rank or service.  Every police officer shall keep his temper thoroughly under control, shall act with courtesy on all occasions and shall not allow his composure to be disturbed by the behavior of others towards him.

• USE OF FORCE:

i) Against Individuals:

A police officer defending himself, or lawfully enforcing his authority, shall act using minimum force.

An officer is not allowed to use firearms against any  person, unless the use of these weapons is justified by self-defense, defense of others against the imminent threat of death, or to prevent the perpetration of a particularly serious crime, or to arrest a criminal.  Officers must never knowingly use more force than is reasonable, nor should they abuse their authority.

      ii)       Against Crowd:

1. The main principle to be observed is that the degree of force employed shall be regulated according to the circumstances of each case.  The object of the use of force is to quell a disturbance of the peace, or to disperse an assembly which threatens such disturbance and has either refused to disperse, or shows a determination not to disperse; no ulterior objectives, such as punitive or repressive effect, shall be taken into consideration.
2. All attempts to disperse a crowd by warnings, exhortations, etc., shall be made before it is declared an unlawful assembly and, as such, ordered to disperse. Once an order to disperse has been defied, or when the attitude of a crowd is obviously defiant, force shall be used without hesitation.   The degree of force used shall be the minimum which the responsible officer, with exercise of due care and caution, decides to be necessary for the effective dispersal of the crowd and making such arrests.

• ABUSE OF AUTHORITY:

No police officer may inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture or other cruel, in-human, or degrading treatment or punishment nor any police officer may invoke superior orders, on the pretext of a threat to national security, internal political instability or any other public emergency as a justification of torture or other cruel, in-human, or degrading treatment or punishment.

• PERFORMANCE OF DUTIES:

Officers should be conscientious and diligent in the performance of their duties. Police officers shall at all time fulfill the duty imposed upon them by law, by serving the community and by protecting all persons against illegal acts, consistent with the high degree of responsibility required by their profession.  Police Officers shall respect the Law and shall also, to the best of their capability, prevent and rigorously oppose any violations of the laws of the land.

• LAWFUL ORDERS:

The police is a disciplined organization.  Officers must obey all lawful orders and abide by the provisions of Police Order. Officers should support their colleagues in the execution of their lawful duties, and oppose any improper behavior, reporting it where appropriate. The police shall in performance of their duties respect human dignity, maintain and uphold rights of all person.

1. CONFIDENTIALITY:

1. police officer should neither use any information which he comes across in the course of his duties for personal benefit nor should it be divulged to other parties except in their proper course of police duty. Similarly, officers should respect as confidential, information about service policy and operations unless authorized to disclose it in the course of the duties or the need of justice strictly required.

Police officers are in possession of information relating to private lives of individuals or which is potentially harmful to the interests, and especially the reputation, of others, they should exercise great care in safeguarding and using this information. A police officer is held legally responsible if he or she discloses information other than in the performance of duty or to serve the needs of justice.

• APPEARANCE:

Unless on duties which dictate otherwise, officers should always be well turned out, clean and tidy whilst on duty in uniform or in plain clothes.

• PROTECTION OF HEALTH IN CUSTODY;

1. Police officers shall reasonably ensure protection of the health of persons in their custody and in particular shall take immediate action to secure medical services for all persons held in custody; this condition applies to all across the board and is mandatory. Access to a qualified medical officer is available every where. Sick or injured persons held in custody who require medical treatment should be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Police officers must obtain and comply with the advice of qualified medical practitioner when he recommends providing the person in custody with appropriate medical treatment.
   1. Police Officers must ensure the rights & privileges available under the law in respect of persons taken into custody. Information about persons arrested must be communicated to the person of his choice, as envisaged in the Police Order, 2002. During custody no Police Officer must inflict, instigate or tolerate any act of torture and degrading treatment with the accused.

Detailed instructions contained in Chapter 26 of the Police Rules, 1934 must be strictly adhered to.

• PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL AFFAIRS AND VOTING:

No police officer shall take part in or subscribe in aid of any political movement or political party. Where there is room for doubt whether action, which a police officer proposes to take, contravenes this rule the orders of the InspectorGeneral shall be obtained. A police officer shall not canvass or otherwise interfere or use his influence in connection with, or take part in, any election to a Legislative body, but may, if qualified, cast his own vote.

• POWERS OF SEARCH OF PERSONS AND PREMISES.

1. During personal search of a person or any snap checking or after formal arrest, principles of decency should not be lost sight of. Regarding the arrest and search of women, Police Rule 26.18-A is very clear and under no circumstances these instructions should be violated.  
   1. All legal formalities provided in Section 165 & 166 of Cr.P.C. for search of the premises for the purpose of investigation must be fulfilled.

During search of premises, efforts should be made not to cause any inconvenience to innocent inmates, with special regard to the modesty of female inmates.

• EMPLOYMENT:

1. police officer is forbidden from taking up any employment whatsoever other than his duties, save with the express and written permission of the InspectorGeneral of Police.

• EXTRA DEPARTMENTAL  INFLUENCE NOT TO BE SOLICITED:

Police officers of all ranks are forbidden to approach officials of other departments or non-official gentlemen for support in pressing individual claims in the matter of promotions, transfers, punishments and appeals. Transfers are made in the interest of the service and not for the convenience of individuals. Reasonable representations, with a view to obtaining the modification of orders of transfers, can be made through proper channel.

• POLICE OFFICERS NOT TO INDULGE IN SPECULATION:

No police officer shall habitually buy and sell any share stock, certificate, schedule, coupon, debenture or other security appertaining to public funds or companies whose value notoriously fluctuates from time to time.

• COMMUNICATION TO THE PRESS:

It is desirable that the services of the newspaper and electronic media should be utilized for securing publicity with regard to police regulations and orders affecting the public, and for disseminating information through which public assistance may be enlisted in the detection of crime and the arrest of  criminals, or public anxiety may be allayed. The authority and discretion to communicate official information with these objects is confined solely to DPO/RPO personally. In matters of exclusively local significance, they are forbidden from giving publicity to any information which affects directly or indirectly the questions of general policy. Police officers subordinate to the DPO are absolutely prohibited from communicating official information of any sort on their own responsibility to the electronic or print media.

• GENERAL CONDUCT:

Whether on or off duty, police officers should not behave in a way which is likely to bring discredit to the police service.

Every police officer shall keep his temper thoroughly under control, shall act with courtesy on all occasions and shall not allow his composure to be disturbed by the behavior of others towards him.

JAVED IQBAL, PSP

Inspector General of Police/PPO, Punjab, Lahore.