Officers in trouble

Police should be reborn through intense reforms

Few other professions might attract more gratitude and grudges from the public at the same time than the police. Still, the latest series of news reports concerning the abuses and misuses of the law enforcement authority shows there is something fundamentally wrong with the Korean police.

Most noticeable ― and lamentable ― is the sharp increase in the number of police officers who turn themselves from law enforcers to law-breakers. Their irregularities, ranging from bribery and embezzlement to even assault and sexual violence, are too frequent and widespread to be overlooked as just aberrations by a few bad apples.

If the police fail to come up with a major self-reform, such as closer screening from the selection stage and reinforcing tighter work ethics, they will soon have to face outside intervention.

No less serious are the unceasing complaints about police brutality, as demonstrated by the recent revelation of physical abuses, including torture, by officers at a Seoul police station. The coercive investigative tactics ― officers often say among themselves ``extort a confession, and evidence will follow" ― also show the police in democratized Korea haven't gone much further from their predecessors during the Japanese colonial era and military dictatorships.

Then came the unusual revelation from the chief of another Seoul police station that the ``strong-arm investigation" is due to ``excessive competition" to produce results forced by superiors. ``I feel it shameful to have forced my men only to show better performances by all means, including the abuse of suspects," Chae Soo-chang, chief of Gangbuk Police Station, told a news conference Monday. He then called for the simultaneous resignation of his direct superior, Cho Hyun-oh, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, ``taking responsibility for creating such an atmosphere."

True, the public revolt within an organization that puts hierarchal order above all else didn't look good, but the whistle-blowing by the senior superintendent-level officer illustrates anything less drastic cannot bring about real changes on the opaque and outdated organization. It is also easy to attribute Chae's outburst to personal or factional reasons, but what should matter more is not his motivation but the authenticity of what he said.

According to news reports, Seoul Metropolitan police headquarters have introduced the point system on major crimes: 70 points on burglary-murder, 50 points for murder, 20 points each for arson, sexual violence on children under 13 and organized violence. Would it be too much of a coincidence if the frequent repeats of sexual abuse of children are related to the relatively lower points for the crime?

An appropriate dose of merit-based competition is necessary in any group, but blind-minded pursuit of results is like putting the cart before the horse on the part of the police, the first and foremost job of which should be to ensure the safety and human rights of the people.

President Lee Myung-bak rightly pointed out the need for protecting the public's human rights in law enforcement. He should go further to put rights protection ahead even of law enforcement.

As on old saying goes, ``Don't make even one false offender even if letting loose 10 real criminals."